Innovation with Mark Peter Davis

The Rise of Private Credit: How $1T in Capital Is Reshaping Finance

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Private credit has exploded into a trillion-dollar asset class, but most people outside finance still don’t understand how it works.

I sat down with Ivan Zinn, founder of Atalaya Capital Management and now part of Blue Owl Capital, to unpack the real mechanics behind the private credit market. Few people have a clearer view of how capital flows through the economy.

During our chat we unpack:

What private credit actually is
Why banks pulled back after the Global Financial Crisis
How private lenders stepped in to finance everything from consumer loans to equipment, infrastructure, and fintech platforms
Where entrepreneurs could build meaningful companies by modernizing the infrastructure behind asset management.

Big thanks to Ivan for sharing such a thoughtful and practical perspective on the evolving capital markets ecosystem.

⏱️ Chapter Markers

00:00 Introduction to Ivan Zinn

01:40 What Private Credit Actually Is

03:05 Asset-Based Lending Explained

04:36 Why Banks Don’t Make These Loans

08:11 How Private Credit Filled the Financing Gap

09:19 Ivan’s Journey into Credit Investing

11:49 Why Scale Matters in Private Credit

16:32 Is There Still Room for Small Credit Managers?

18:35 The Rise of Fintech-Driven Lending Models

19:29 Biggest Mistakes New Credit Managers Make

24:46 What CEOs Get Wrong When Raising Debt

29:08 Aligning Expectations Between Lenders and Founders

31:16 Why Private Credit Is Still Technologically Behind

35:30 Massive Opportunities for Fintech Builders

40:06 Selling Atalaya Capital Management to Blue Owl

42:30 Should Asset Managers Go Public?

44:58 Final Advice for Fintech Entrepreneurs

Links:

Ivan Zinn: LinkedIn
Interplay: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
MPD: LinkedIn, Twitter

Defying Gravity: A Lookback At 2025 & Deep Dive Into The Macro Forces Shaping 2026

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Is the global economy stronger than it looks or more fragile beneath the surface? If you’re trying to reconcile booming markets with rising geopolitical risk, this week’s episode brings an important perspective.

I sat down with Chris Zhang, Partner & CIO of Ascend Interplay, to break down the real forces shaping 2026:

How AI is shifting from a narrative to a measurable economic impact
Why labor markets may determine where we go next
Global structural shifts that are underway - from escalating Middle East tensions to the rise of protectionism - and what they imply for supply chains, inflation dynamics, and U.S. debt sustainability.

Big thanks to Chris for a thoughtful, data-driven discussion.

⏱️ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Welcome & Why 2025 Defied Gravity

02:00 – Global GDP Surprise & Market Performance

03:30 – The Structural Bull Market in Gold & Silver

07:45 – When Would Gold Actually Fall?

10:00 – 2026 Outlook: Cautiously Constructive

11:45 – AI’s Real Impact on Productivity & Labor

14:30 – Middle East Conflict & Oil Markets

17:15 – Are Trade Wars Really Over?

19:30 – Structural Protectionism & Supply Chains

22:00 – The Americas Strategy & Regional Integration

26:30 – U.S. Debt: Is There a Real Solution?

29:45 – The Fed, Growth & Kevin Warsh’s Role

32:45 – Final Takeaways for 2026

Links:

Chris Zhang: LinkedIn
Interplay: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
MPD: LinkedIn, Twitter

Saving Healthcare: How Meroka Is Empowering Doctors To Stay Independent

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 10:45:00 -0400

Why is U.S. healthcare so broken? If you're not sure why it’s so expensive or dysfunctional, this week’s podcast may illuminate the answers for you.

I sat down with Alex Barrett, Cofounder & CEO of Meroka, who's tackling one of the root problems:

Consolidation that strips doctors of autonomy
Misaligned incentives across the system
Outdated models that sacrifice care for throughput

70% of doctors now work for big systems but Alex is charting a new path by giving independent practices scale, liquidity, and ownership without the need to sell out.

Special thanks to Alex for joining the pod - this is one of the smartest takes I’ve heard on how to fix healthcare from the inside.

⏱️ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Welcome & Guest Intro

01:20 – What is Meroka?

03:30 – Why Independence Matters in Healthcare

05:30 – The Trade-Off Between Scale & Patient Experience

07:20 – Breaking Down Reimbursement Rates

10:30 – Why Scale Has Meant Consolidation—Until Now

14:50 – How Independent Practices Survive

17:00 – The Myth That Doctors Are Bad at Business

20:30 – Meroka’s Employee Ownership Model

23:50 – Comparing to Private Equity Models

26:00 – The Future of Healthcare as a Real Market

28:30 – Final Thoughts & Gratitude

Links:

Alex Barrett: LinkedIn
Meroka: Website, LinkedIn
Interplay: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
MPD: LinkedIn, Twitter

The Power of Suggestion: Inside the Psychology of High-Stakes Selling

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0400

This conversation blew me away. I sat down with Lydia Fenet, an auctioneer who’s raised over a billion dollars, and what started as a chat about charity auctions quickly turned into one of the most insightful masterclasses on sales, persuasion, and audience psychology I’ve ever heard.

Lydia isn’t just good on stage, she’s world-class at reading people, building trust instantly, and closing with confidence. What’s wild is how much of what she does applies directly to startup life: pitching investors, closing enterprise deals, selling your vision.

If you’re a founder, operator, or anyone in business, this episode is packed with tactics that’ll shift how you think about selling anything to anyone.

⏱ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Intro: Why Auctioneering Matters To Entrepreneurs

01:15 – Lydia’s Unconventional Path Into Auctioneering

04:00 – The High-Stakes World Of Charity Auctions

06:15 – Launching The First Auctioneer Talent Agency

08:00 – What Makes A Great Charity Auctioneer?

11:00 – Sales Psychology On Stage

13:45 – Audience Dynamics And Identifying Your “Auction Foil”

17:30 – Anchoring Luxury With Impact: Values-Based Selling

20:00 – The Power Of The Underbidder

22:00 – Auction Tactics That Apply To Enterprise Sales

25:00 – Selling With Empathy, Not A Script

27:30 – The Power Of Suggestion And Painting The Picture

31:00 – Closing Thoughts & Key Takeaways

Links:

Lyndia Fenet: Website, LinkedIn
Book (Written by Lyndia Fenet): The Most Powerful Woman in the Room Is You: Command an Audience and Sell Your Way to Success
Book (Written by Lyndia Fenet): Claim Your Confidence: Unlock Your Superpower and Create the Life You Want
Interplay: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
MPD: LinkedIn, Twitter

The Gold Standard for Seed VC: Inside Primary

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 10:29:00 -0400

Brad Svrluga has been a mentor and a close friend of mine for years. Watching him build Primary - one of the most respected firms in the industry - has been a masterclass in itself, so sitting down with him for this episode was a highlight I've been looking forward to and a great way to kick off the year.

We went deep on an often overlooked topic in VC: How do you actually scale a firm's infrastructure?

Whether you're a GP or a founder, Brad’s perspective on building a modern, institutional-grade firm is unmatched.

⏱ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Intro & Brad's Background

01:00 – What Primary Ventures Does Differently

03:20 – Incubation and Building Companies from Scratch

05:00 – Why Founders Pick Primary

07:00 – Inside the Operational Support Team

09:00 – Is There a Downside to Scaling a VC Firm?

10:30 – Culture and Structure at Primary

12:15 – Aligning Operational Teams with MOIC Goals

14:00 – Ben & Brad: cofounder Dynamics

17:30 – Why Brad Became a VC

21:00 – The Challenge of Scaling Venture Itself

24:00 – The Downfall of Venture Networks

26:00 – Scaling with Specialized Partners

30:00 – Rebranding and Starting Primary

31:30 – Advice for Emerging VCs: Sourcing, Picking, and LPs

38:50 – Wrap-Up and Reflections

Links:

Brad Svrluga: LinkedIn
Primary: Website, LinkedIn
Interplay: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
MPD: LinkedIn, Twitter

2026 Predictions Episode

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 11:04:00 -0400

Our 2026 predictions are in. From IPOs to AI to robots - check out what we think is actually coming in 2026.

To wrap up 2025, I regroup with Mike and Phuong for our annual end-of-year episode, where we look back at last year's predictions (they passed with flying colors) and set our sights on what’s ahead.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the topics covered:

✅ AI’s real impact on blue and white collar jobs.

📈 The slow thaw of the IPO market.

💸 The maturing of venture capital into a robust capital market ecosystem.

🤖 Why humanoid robots might finally enter the chat.

🚀 How seed-stage startups have fundamentally changed - and what will make or break them next year.

If you're a founder, investor, or just trying to stay ahead of the curve, this one’s packed with insight.

🎧 Listen & let us know what YOU think is coming in 2026? Drop your predictions in the comments. 👇

⏱ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Intro: 2025 Recap & Predictions for 2026

01:00 – Michael’s 2025 Prediction Scorecard: AI, Jobs & Valuations

06:30 – IPO Market Outlook & The Tale of Two Venture Markets

12:00 – AI Foundational Models vs. Application Layer

16:45 – 2026 Exit Landscape & The Rise of Secondaries

21:00 – Will Big Tech Pull Back from the Application Layer?

25:00 – AI Enterprise Adoption & Salesforce’s Big Bet

28:00 – The Robotics Curve: Consumer vs. Construction Use Cases

33:00 – Phuong’s 2025 Prediction Debrief: Tariffs & CX

38:00 – AI at Home? Why Consumers Aren’t Adopting (Yet)

41:00 – How Seed-Stage Startups Have Changed in 2025

46:00 – Labor Mismatch & The Talent Problem in AI Startups

49:00 – Who Wins in 2026: Full Workflow Automation

52:00 – Who Loses: Commoditized Content, Support & Legal Tools

55:00 – The Real Risk: Obsolescence & Distribution Moats

57:00 – Wrap Up & 2026 Outlook

Links:

Book: AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order
Book: The Lean Startup
Book: The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Art of Disruption
Interplay: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
MPD: LinkedIn, Twitter
Michael Rogers: LinkedIn, Twitter
Phuong Ireland: LinkedIn, Twitter

ROI Driven Philanthropy with Mark Gerson

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0400

What if you approached philanthropy like a startup? The results might shock you and completely rewire how you think about giving.

I sit down with Mark Gerson, Cofounder of GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group) and Cofounder and Chair of 3i Members, to dive deep into how you can treat generosity like a capital allocation decision. We unpack a framework for ROI-driven giving that prioritizes measurable impact over emotional check-writing.

Whether you give already or you’re just starting to think about it, this is a practical, purpose-driven guide to doing the most good in a faster and smarter way

Special thanks to Mark for joining me on the pod and for all the amazing work he does.

⏱️ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Introduction to Mark Gerson & GLG Origins

02:45 – The Accidental Start of a $650M Business

06:00 – Lessons in Entrepreneurship from GLG’s Growth

08:50 – Why Business Advice is Often Useless

09:30 – The Life-Saving Problem in Global Emergency Response

11:00 – United Hatzalah: Crowdsourcing First Response in Israel

13:30 – Politics, Union Challenges & US Expansion

15:00 – How an Orange Jacket Saves Lives

16:45 – ROI-Driven Philanthropy: Measuring Cost per Life Saved

18:30 – African Mission Healthcare: Saving Lives with $350 C-Sections

21:00 – Partnering with Christian Missionary Doctors

25:00 – Effective Philanthropy vs. Emotional or Prestige Giving

29:00 – The True Definition of Charity & ROI vs. Emotion

32:30 – When and How Much Should You Give?

36:00 – Why Giving Never Makes You Poor

37:45 – Books, Content & Torah as Self-Help

40:00 – 3i: A Crowdsourced Investment + Community Platform

43:00 – How Business & Charity Reinforce Each Other

Links

Mark Gerson 3i Members, United Hatzalah of Israel, African Mission Healthcare, GLG, Twitter, LinkedIn
Books: God Was Right: How Modern Social Science Proves the Torah Is True, The Telling: How Judaism’s Essential Book Reveals the Meaning of Life
MPD: LinkedIn, Twitter
Interplay: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter

Building Ethical Businesses and Raising Conscious Leaders

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Beneath the surface of many everyday products lies a complex web of ethical dilemmas. In this powerful conversation, entrepreneur and investor Ryan Ansin peels back the curtain on global supply chains and the moral questions behind them. From chocolate and diamonds to blockchain transparency, he shares what ethical manufacturing really entails and how even simple choices carry weight. The episode also explores how to raise grounded children, the role of impact investing, and why major corporations must evolve for real change to happen. This discussion challenges the idea you to think about ethics, offering a roadmap for aligning values with action across business, family, and capital.

⏱️ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Introduction: Meet Ryan Ansin

01:00 – Defining Ethical Manufacturing

03:20 – Chocolate & Child Labor: A Case Study

06:00 – Diamonds, Supply Chains & Transparency

09:00 – Who Really Drives Change: Startups or Giants?

12:00 – Consumers vs. Regulators: What Sparks Reform?

14:00 – Blockchain & The Future of Supply Chain Tracking

15:00 – Ryan's Journey into Social Entrepreneurship

18:00 – Family Legacy & Ethical Business Foundations

24:00 – Is Ethical Living a Privilege or a Choice?

26:00 – Grandfather Wisdom: Helping the Helpers

30:00 – Giraffes, Accountability & Courage in Business

31:00 – Wealth, Responsibility & Raising Grounded Kids

37:00 – Teaching Grit Through Friction & Curiosity

40:00 – Final Thoughts: Aligning Impact with Action

Links

Interplay: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
Book: Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think
MPD: LinkedIn, Twitter

David vs. Goliath: Winning When You're the Underdog

Thu, 22 May 2025 00:15:00 -0400

This week’s episode explores one of the most pressing challenges early-stage startups face: competing against well-funded incumbents. We cover how startups can beat giants by focusing on niche markets, iterating fast, building emotional brands, and providing world-class customer experiences. This is the ultimate guide for founders navigating a David vs. Goliath scenario. Whether you’re bootstrapping or just closed your seed round, these tactics will give you the edge. A friendly heads up - this episode is our season closer before we take a pod break for the summer. Thanks for listening and enjoy your summer - we’ll be back from a new studio, recharged and ready to roll.

⏱️ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Intro and Summer Break Announcement

01:00 – Why Competing with Big Players is Tough But Doable

02:30 – Foundational Assumptions Before Competing

04:00 – Strategy #1: Own Your Niche

06:00 – Strategy #2: Move Fast and Iterate Faster

08:30 – Strategy #3: Build a Brand People Want to Root For

10:00 – Emotional Branding Examples: Slack, Duolingo, Superhuman

12:00 – Strategy #4: Win on Customer Experience

13:30 – Recap of the Underdog Playbook

14:00 – Final Thoughts and Farewell Until After Summer

Links

Scaling Smart: Unlocking Startup Growth with Outsourcing

Thu, 08 May 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Outsourcing isn't new — but the way startups can use it today has radically changed. On this week’s ep, I sat down with Shaun Walker, CEO of Spoke, to unpack what business process outsourcing (BPO) can look like for high-growth startups in 2025.

Let me say this upfront: most early - stage founders are missing out. Outsourcing isn’t just about slashing costs - it’s about building operational leverage and unlocking global talent pools in a way that accelerates your entire business.

Spoke’s model stands out because it focuses on fully embedded, dedicated teams that feel like extensions of your startup - they're engaged team members motivated to help you hit your milestones.

Whether it’s customer support, finance, data operations, or even engineering, there’s a strategic opportunity here. Especially in today’s hybrid and AI-enhanced world, Shaun argues that outsourcing can be a “bionic” function — letting you scale up or down with flexibility, access talent faster, and focus your internal team on what truly matters.

If you're a founder thinking about how to stretch your funding and build operational leverage, this is a must-listen. Hope it helps you navigate your own growth journey.

🕒 Chapter Markers

00:00 – Intro & Welcome

01:10 – What Spoke Does Differently in BPO

03:00 – Human-Centric Approach to Outsourcing

05:00 – Why Not Hire Offshore Directly?

07:00 – Building Embedded Global Teams

08:00 – Why Founders Miss BPO Opportunities

10:00 – When to Consider Outsourcing

12:00 – How Spoke Supports Startups

14:00 – The Cost vs. Strategic Advantage Debate

17:00 – Global Talent Quality and Motivation

19:00 – BPO as a Bionic Growth Function

21:00 – Helping Startups with U.S. Hiring Too

22:00 – High-Skill Roles & No Upper Limit

26:00 – AI’s Role in the Future of Outsourcing

28:00 – When Outsourcing Doesn’t Work

32:00 – Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up

Shaun Walker: LinkedIn
Spoke: Website
Interplay: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
Book: The Fundraising Rules

How to Know If Your Startup Idea Is Big Enough to Win

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:30:00 -0400

How do you determine if your idea is truly worth pursuing? In this week’s episode, we dive into a practical framework that breaks down the evaluation process into four critical components: the pain point, the market size, the defensibility of your product, and how you plan to monetize and scale.

Whether you're just brainstorming or already building, these criteria will help you gut-check your concept and avoid wasting time on ideas that aren’t big - or painful - enough. We also discuss market sizing (TAM/SAM/SOM), moats, and why competitive advantage isn’t always what it seems. This is a must-listen for any founder looking to go from “cool idea” to real business.

Links:

Chapter Markers:

00:00 – Intro: Why Idea Validation Is So Hard

02:00 – The Real Question: Do You Have a Big Idea?

03:00 – The 4-Part Framework for Validating an Idea

03:45 – Step 1: Pain Point – Is This a Must-Have?

06:00 – Step 2: Market Size – TAM, SAM, SOM Explained

09:40 – Step 3: Product – Is It Defensible?

12:10 – Step 4: Monetization – Can It Scale?

15:10 – Final Thoughts: Gut-Check Your Idea

16:30 – Outro: Still Learning After Decades in the Game

Garry Tan of Y Combinator: How Innovation Is Changing

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Y Combinator has long been - and continues to be - the tip of the innovation spear. That's why I was especially excited to sit down with Garry Tan, President & CEO of Y Combinator, for a conversation that gets right to the core of what’s changing across the startup landscape.

At Interplay, I've spent years working alongside entrepreneurs who are laser-focused on building, scaling, and making a lasting impact. Over that time, I've seen countless trends come and go - but when a true seismic shift hits, like the one we’re seeing with AI today, it’s critical to step back and understand the bigger picture.

Garry and I dove deep into why vertical SaaS and AI-native startups are poised to drive the next wave of innovation, how lean, AI-augmented teams are rewriting the rules of company building, and why real traction still comes down to solving tangible user problems. We also explored the geographic shifts reshaping where startups thrive, the current realities of AI adoption, and what it truly takes to build a product the world actually wants. It’s a great, timely conversation.

A special thanks to Garry for joining me and sharing his insights.

00:00 – Introduction: Why Garry Tan and Y Combinator Matter

00:48 – Garry Tan Joins the Conversation

02:00 – Trends at the Top of the Startup Funnel

02:45 – The Rise of AI and Vertical SaaS Opportunities

04:00 – Leaner Startups: Building Companies with Smaller Teams

05:00 – How AI is Reshaping Company Growth and Scaling

06:00 – Internal Use of AI: Operational Efficiency Across Startups

07:30 – Early Innings: The Long-Term Impact of AI

09:00 – Mainstream AI Adoption: How Far We Have to Go

10:00 – Geography Trends: Where Startup Hubs Are Emerging

11:00 – Why San Francisco Still Matters for Founders

12:30 – The Golden Age of Startups: What's Next

13:30 – Critical Skills for Founders in the AI Era

14:00 – The #1 Reason Startups Fail: Solving Real User Problems

14:30 – Closing Thoughts: Building the Future of Innovation

Links:

Garry Tan: LinkedIn
Y Combinator: Website, LinkedIn
Book: The Fundraising Rules
Interplay: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
MPD: LinkedIn, Twitter

The Legal Blueprint for Startups: What Founders Must Know Before Incorporating

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 06:00:00 -0400

At Interplay, I've spent years working with entrepreneurs who are driven to build, scale, and make an impact - but too often, legal structuring gets overlooked in the frenzy of product development and fundraising. I've seen firsthand how costly early legal missteps can be so we brought on legal expert Eric Broad of Bowery Legal on to the pod to demystify early stage startup legal questions from entity type selection to the nuanced tax advantages like QSBS that most founders only hear about once it’s too late.

Our goal at Interplay is to equip founders with practical insights so they can focus on growing transformative businesses without getting tripped up by preventable legal issues. Whether you’re about to raise your first dollar or just brainstorming your MVP, this conversation will help you make smart, strategic choices. We cover the why behind Delaware's dominance, when to hit the "incorporate" button, and why trying to hack the system with clever workarounds rarely works in your favor.

I hope this deep dive helps founders avoid headaches and build with confidence.

Links:

Eric Broad: LinkedIn
Bowery Legal: Website, LinkedIn
Phuong Ireland: LinkedIn
Book: The Fundraising Rules
Interplay: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
MPD: LinkedIn, Twitter

China 2025: The Big Picture & On-the-Ground Insights

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 08:00:00 -0400

Chris Zhang, Partner and CIO of Ascend Interplay (Interplay’s multi-family office), returns to the pod to provide an in-depth analysis of China’s economic landscape in 2025, offering insights beyond mainstream media narratives. We discuss the current state of China’s economy, examining key indicators such as GDP growth, industrial production, and trade activity. At the same time, Chris highlights major concerns, including deflation, a struggling housing market, and long-term demographic challenges, while also shedding light on the country’s transition from a manufacturing-driven economy to a service-oriented one.

We then dive into the geopolitical dynamics between the U.S. and China. In addition to discussing the tariffs, we compare today’s economic competition to the Cold War era, and how shifting alliances - particularly in Europe and the Middle East - are reshaping global power structures.

We also cover China’s technological advancements, particularly in AI and EV manufacturing, where it continues to challenge U.S. dominance. Chris analyzes the impact of U.S. tariffs, supply chain shifts, and investment flows, emphasizing how China remains a key player in the global economy despite short-term volatility.

We wrap up with Chris’s firsthand insights from his recent trip to Beijing and Zhengzhou, where he observes China’s strong consumer activity despite ongoing real estate struggles. The episode concludes with a deep dive into China’s investment landscape, shifting geopolitical dynamics, and the nation’s long-term trajectory—offering critical perspectives on how it will continue to shape global trade and economic power structures.

Links:

Art or Science? The Secrets & Methods Behind Seed-Stage Startup Valuations

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Seed-stage valuation can feel like a black box. Unlike later-stage companies with clear financial metrics, early-stage startups are evaluated based on qualitative factors, market conditions, and investor demand. Founders with finance backgrounds often expect rigid valuation models, only to realize that early-stage investing is more art than science. However, strategic valuation methods and investor benchmarks offer a structured approach, helping founders navigate the process with confidence.

In today’s podcast, we break down the most common seed-stage valuation methods—including the Investor Target Ownership approach, the Berkus Method, and the increasingly popular SAFE note. We also highlight key founder pitfalls, such as over-inflating valuations or underpricing their startups, and explain how investor demand influences the equation.

Understanding these factors can help you navigate fundraising with clarity. The goal isn't just to get the highest valuation—it's to secure the right investment partners and ensure long-term success.

Links:

Shoveling $h!t: Startup Cheat Codes & New Book from Serial Founders Kass & Mike Lazerow

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:45:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I chat with Kass and Mike Lazerow, a powerhouse entrepreneurial duo known for building and exiting multiple companies, including Golf.com and Buddy Media (which was acquired by Salesforce for $745 million).

The conversation dives into their unique dynamic as a husband-and-wife co-founding team, their entrepreneurial journey spanning decades, and their latest venture—writing "Shoveling $h!t: A Love Story" a brutally honest book about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship.

We discuss what makes a strong co-founder relationship, the realities of scaling a business, and Kass and Mike’s ongoing mission to mentor and support founders. With thoughts on fundraising, company culture, and life after an exit, this episode offers a candid look at the realities of entrepreneurship—perfect for founders, investors, and anyone navigating the startup journey.

Links:

Book: Shoveling $h!t: A Love Story
Kass & Mike: Instagram, YouTube, X, Facebook, LinkedIn (Kass), LinkedIn (Mike)
MPD: LinkedIn, X
Interplay: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter

Tackling Taxes: What Every Startup Needs to Know

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Navigating startup taxes can be challenging, but this comprehensive guide simplifies the process. Learn how to handle 1099 filings, leverage R&D tax credits for significant savings, and strategically use tax extensions to reduce stress. Discover practical tips for managing financial books, avoiding common tax pitfalls like Delaware franchise tax panic, and handling remote employee tax implications. Whether you're pre-revenue or scaling quickly, this article provides actionable insights to help startups stay compliant, optimize financial resources, and focus on growth.

Links:

Book: The Fundraising Rules
Interplay: LinkedIn, Twitter, Website
MPD: LinkedIn, Twitter
Kate Kelly: LinkedIn
Chelsea Capital: LinkedIn, Website

2025 Predictions Episode

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 15:00:00 -0400

The time of year for reflection is upon us, so in this week’s episode the team and I review our 2024 predictions and dive into bold forecasts for 2025. From the impact of geopolitical shifts to the state of venture capital and global deglobalization trends, we explore what lies ahead for technology, startups, and markets. We cover key trends like AI's application layer boom, the rise of humanoid robots in the workforce, the evolving IPO market, and much more.

What do you think is going to happen in 2025? Share in the comments below.

Links:

How to Fund Your Startup: Navigating the Full Spectrum of Investor Options

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 00:15:00 -0400

In this week’s episode Phuong and I dive into the essentials of early-stage startup fundraising, exploring the diverse options available to founders. We discuss everything from leveraging friends and family to connecting with angel investors, accelerators, and venture capitalists, as well as alternative funding methods like non-dilutive capital and crowdfunding. Our goal here was to share practical advice on building relationships with investors, tailoring your approach to your business type, and strategically positioning your startup for success. Whether you're just starting out or refining your fundraising strategy, this episode provides actionable insights for securing the right kind of capital.

Links:

Reimagining Storytime: Wendy's Mission to Reinvent Reading for Kids

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0400

What if I told you there’s a way to make reading as entertaining and interactive as video games and social media?

Wendy - an innovative new app that’s transforming how kids engage with stories - is doing just that. They’re creating a platform to compete in today’s captivating, fast-paced media landscape, and on this week’s ep I chat with Lance Neuhauser - Wendy’s Founder & CEO - all about their mission.

If you’re a parent wanting a fresh approach to getting your child excited about reading, this episode is a must-listen and Wendy is a must-try.

During our conversation, Lance shares how Wendy empowers kids to create their own worlds, select characters, and shape unique adventures—encouraging a love for reading by making it fun, immersive, and personalized. In an age when screen time often feels like the enemy of education, Wendy brings the best of both worlds, helping kids rediscover reading in a way that’s safe, engaging, and socially connected.

Parents will appreciate how Wendy is built with children’s development in mind, thanks to insights from educators, authors, and psychologists. As you might suspect, building a platform like that is no easy feat. We chat all about the significant challenges and strategies in building an app that safeguards kids’ online experiences, respects intellectual property, and offers educational benefits. By bridging the gap between entertainment and literacy, Wendy isn’t just an app; it’s a tool that turns screen time into story time, fueling imagination and learning.

Coming out of our Interplay Foundry, I’ve been fortunate to get a front row seat to see Wendy’s amazing growth over the past year so I was excited to record this episode. Enjoy.

Links:

How Much Equity Should You Give Early Employees? A Guide to Structuring Your Startup’s Cap Table to Fuel Growth and Attract Investors

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 00:30:00 -0400

This week, Phuong and I dive into one of the most crucial yet often perplexing aspects of startup formation: cap table construction and equity distribution. If you're setting up a startup or restructuring your cap table, this conversation is a must-listen.

We discuss the essentials of setting up a cap table that aligns with industry norms, aiming to attract investors while motivating founders and early employees. From understanding equity splits among co-founders to planning an option pool for future hires, we cover actionable insights that can help founders avoid common pitfalls. This is a tough topic for new entrepreneurs and we hope that this can help folks build a balanced and adaptable ownership structure that supports growth and long-term success.

Future of Warfare: How Rapid Innovation is Affecting Military Strategy

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:30:00 -0400

As someone passionate about the role of innovation in advancing society, I’m particularly interested in how rapidly evolving technologies - like artificial intelligence, robotics, and dual-use technologies - are reshaping the military landscape. Naturally, I was thrilled and honored that Major General Julian “Ghost” Cheater joined me on the pod to explore this intersection of technology and warfare.

Ghost, a senior leader in the U.S. Air Force, shared invaluable insights into how the military anticipates future conflicts and adapts to emerging technologies, as well as the importance of collaboration between the military and private sector tech companies. We dove deep into everything from how advanced software applications are used to streamline operations, to the critical role private companies play in supporting national defense through dual-use innovations.

One of the most eye-opening moments of the conversation was when we discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the lessons being learned in real time, especially in terms of adapting technology to the battlefield. Ghost emphasized that the tech industry and military can help prevent conflict through innovation. This episode was a powerful reminder that while the stakes are high in defense, there is tremendous opportunity for technologists and entrepreneurs to contribute to national security in meaningful ways. I'm excited for listeners to hear how they can get involved and make a difference.

Links:

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Decoding Startup Funding: The Art and Science Behind Determining Your Raise

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 00:15:00 -0400

Determining how much capital a startup should raise during each funding round is hard. This week, Phuong and I break down the tools and methodologies that founders and VCs use to calculate the right number, emphasizing the importance of creating a detailed operating model. The conversation covers key fundraising strategies, including aligning milestones with investor expectations and avoiding common pitfalls like over-dilution. Our goal during this chat was to offer practical insights on managing capital efficiently and ensuring long-term growth. If you’re a founder looking to navigate the fundraising landscape with confidence, this episode is definitely for you.

Links:

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Fighting Business Fraud: How BizDefender Protects Small Companies

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 00:15:00 -0400

We kick off a new season by sitting down with Patrick Butler, the CEO of BizDefender. Patrick, a seasoned founder with deep technical expertise, discusses his latest venture, BizDefender, a company co-founded with Interplay. BizDefender addresses the growing epidemic of fraud targeting small and medium-sized businesses. The conversation delves into the various types of business fraud, including hacking, social engineering, and brand spoofing. Patrick explains how BizDefender is stepping up with a simple, accessible solution, including a free-tier product, to help businesses monitor and mitigate these fraud risks, which are often invisible yet devastating.

Patrick and I also discuss the broader mission behind BizDefender, which aligns with Interplay’s studio model of building companies that create both social value and sustainable business solutions. Patrick emphasizes how small businesses are particularly vulnerable to fraud, with median losses that could cripple many companies. BizDefender aims to provide these businesses with a much-needed defense, offering tools to monitor dark web activity, protect against phishing attacks, and offer human support to navigate the complex landscape of fraud prevention.

Give it a shot and see how BizDefender can help your company stay safe at bizdefender.com.

Links:

BizDefender Links: Website, LinkedIn, Instagram
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Apple's Big AI Reveal + A Breakdown of Pay-to-Play

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 00:15:00 -0400

For this week's episode - the last one before the podcast takes a summer break - my colleague Mike Rogers joins to discuss Apple's new updates + AI announcement. Additionally, we touch on the implications of growth round pay-to-play dynamics in the early-stage market.

Global Market Recap: 2024 Mid-Year Analysis

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0400

This week's pod is a mid-year check-in on the global markets with Chris Zhang. Chris shares his insights on the current state of the U.S. and global markets and we dissect key economic data, market trends, and potential risks, offering a nuanced evaluation of the economic landscape.

Building Your B2C Customer Base: A Step-by-Step Guide

Thu, 30 May 2024 00:15:00 -0400

Phuong delves into the crucial strategies for acquiring initial customers when launching a B2C (business-to-consumer) product. We discuss the importance of targeting early adopters who feel the problem intensely and are willing to tolerate an imperfect product. Practical advice is provided on how to find these initial users both offline and online, emphasizing the value of human contact and direct feedback. The episode also highlights successful pre-launch community building and beta program strategies, with real-world examples such as Harry's pre-launch referral program.

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Diversification Demystified: Creating a Balanced Portfolio

Thu, 09 May 2024 00:15:00 -0400

I recently sat down with Chris Zhang, CIO and partner at Ascend Interplay, to discuss the often misunderstood concept of diversification. We explored the endowment model, which focuses on alternative assets like private equity, venture capital, and real estate, and how it can be applied to ultra-high-net-worth families and individuals with long-term investment horizons. I note how this approach can help capture the illiquidity premium and provide diversification benefits. Chris shared his insights on the limitations of traditional measures like volatility and correlation, and we discussed how true uncorrelated assets are scarce in the current macro environment. Our conversation highlighted the importance of understanding the nuances of diversification and risk management in investing.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this podcast are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The podcast may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the podcast does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The podcast is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

The Human Factor: How Hiring Shapes Your Organization

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 00:15:00 -0400

DESCRIPTION

Recruiting and team construction are crucial for any company's culture and success. This week, Phuong and I dive into this topic and how important it is to focus on hiring when building a startup. Phuong provides insights into assessing team needs, creating effective job descriptions, conducting thoughtful interviews, and evaluating candidates based on grit, humility, and integrity. When looking to add people to the team not only should technical qualifications be considered but we underscore the significance of soft skills. Every person you bring into your team has an impact on shaping organizational culture and success. Lastly, we share a tool used here at Interplay, Superman Analysis. We use Superman Analysis to assess team needs and identify gaps in skills enabling us to ensure our team is structured and staffed as it should be.

LINKS

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @Mikeyjrog
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Superman Analysis

*DISCLAIMER*

A Deep Dive Into Vertical Software

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 00:15:00 -0400

Mike and I had the pleasure of sitting down with Todd Saunders (CEO of Broadlume), and Chetan Narain (co-founder and CTO of Pepper) to discuss the concept of vertical SaaS and its application in different industries. We explore how Broadlume and Pepper leverage vertical SaaS to serve the flooring and food distribution markets. Our conversation delves into the evolution and advantages of vertical SaaS, emphasizing the importance of owning customer relationships and leveraging industry-specific data. We speak about the potential for vertical SaaS companies to expand into broader markets beyond software, highlighting scalability and value proposition, particularly in high transaction volume industries. Additionally, Todd Saunders and Chetan Narain discuss the impact of AI on their businesses, focusing on its role in increasing internal efficiency, improving customer experience, and driving profitability. Our discussion underscores the broader implications of AI adoption, including its potential to enhance productivity, customer satisfaction, and shareholder value across industries.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @Mikeyjrog, @toddsaunders
Company Links: Pepper LinkedIn, Pepper Website, Broadlume Website, Broadlume LinkedIn
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

The Downstream Effect of Reddit's IPO, Implications of the Residential Realtor Settlement, and What Boeing's Struggles Means for American Industry.

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:15:00 -0400

Mike and I sat down this week to chat about current events and their implications for the innovation economy. We begin our conversation by highlighting successful tech IPOs like Reddit and Estera, suggesting a strong demand for tech companies in the public market. We discuss how these IPOs could signal to other entrepreneurs and investors, potentially fueling more listings and investments. Our conversation shifts to a significant settlement in the real estate world, impacting companies like Compass. We analyze how changes in realtor commissions could shift capital to homeowners and potentially disrupt the real estate brokerage industry. Lastly, We touch upon Boeing's recent challenges, reflecting on corporate management issues and the potential for new players to enter the aviation industry. We discuss the lack of innovation in commercial aviation and suggest opportunities for entrepreneurs and government intervention to foster competition and innovation in the sector.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @Mikeyjrog
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Impact of AI Across Real Estate and Various Sectors: A Discussion at The Annual Columbia Business School Real Estate Symposium

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:15:00 -0400

I joined my alma mater, Columbia Business School to give a talk at The Annual Columbia Business School Real Estate Symposium. I was invited by the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate and decided to discuss the impact of AI on the real estate industry and various sectors. During the talk, I delved into the potential of AI across various sectors, including its convergence with augmented reality, robotics, and quantum computing. I point out how these advancements could transform not only industries but also national security. In the context of real estate, I highlighted the challenges and opportunities AI presents, urging listeners to adapt to this rapidly changing landscape.

Ultimately, I believe it's crucial for us to approach AI with responsibility, recognizing its potential for both good and harm. I'm grateful to Columbia Business School for the platform to share my insights, and I hope my talk encourages others to navigate the evolving technological landscape effectively.

*DISCLAIMER*

Doing Things that Don't Scale: Unpacking An Important Concept for Startups

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 10:30:00 -0400

Phuong is back on the podcast this week to discuss the importance of doing things that don't scale in startups. Phuong explains that this concept, popularized by Paul Graham of Y Combinator, involves manually handling processes to acquire customers, test concepts, and iterate on products before scaling. We dive into examples such as Seamless and Diapers.com, showing how hands-on approaches helped them understand customer needs and refine their offerings. We emphasize the importance of prioritizing learning and validation over rapid growth in the initial stages of a startup. Being involved in the early stages helps founders understand their business deeply, which is crucial for long-term success.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Are We Having a Soft Landing on a Minefield?

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 00:15:00 -0400

Chris is back on the podcast this week, joining me to discuss recent market shifts. Our overall assessment is that the year started with uncertainties but seems to be stabilizing, with tech companies performing well and equity markets thriving. However, despite positive signs, there's concern over a potential commercial real estate crisis, as refinancing becomes challenging. The Fed is cautious about rate cuts, waiting for labor market weakening and lower inflation. While the economy seems close to a soft landing, the looming commercial real estate issue remains unresolved. Chris shares insights into the commercial real estate market, indicating a significant drop in rental rates. The episode concludes with plans for future discussions on wealth management.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

How to Effectively Test Your MVP

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0400

Phuong is back for her first appearance in 2024, where she shares insights on effectively conducting user testing for MVPs. We discuss the importance of learning from customer behavior, gathering a small group of dedicated users, setting clear objectives, tracking engagement metrics, and using various feedback methods like observing user interactions and conducting interviews and surveys. We emphasize the need to iterate based on user feedback and avoiding falling in love with the product over solving the identified problem. I aim to underscore the importance of solving for "no" rather than seeking only positive outcomes. Phuong highlights the significance of sticking to validated pain points and suggests silently observing users to understand their true interactions with the product. Overall, it's a valuable discussion on the iterative process of refining MVPs based on user feedback.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay,
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

The Impact of Conflict on Israel’s Startup Ecosystem

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0400

On this week’s pod I sat down with Alan Feld, Founder & Managing Partner of Vintage Investment Partners. Vintage is a stalwart in the venture ecosystem and manages roughly $4 billion. As a result of building such an incredible venture firm, Alan has had the chance to really think about and hone in on what makes a company special. What I love about Alan’s perspective is that he uses those insights to focus internally at Vintage so it was only natural that we have a wonderful discussion about team dynamics, humility and character.

Additionally, we dive deep into how conflict is affecting Israel’s startup ecosystem. Vintage is based in Israel and Alan was kind enough to share his thoughts and updates.The conversation isn’t about who's right and who's wrong. The conversation is about the impact of this conflict on an otherwise thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem and what this will do after that.

I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and I hope you do too. A special thanks to Alan for joining me on the pod.

Links:

Guest Links: Vintage Investment Partners
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @alanf_feld
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Using Space To Make Life Better On Earth with Dylan Taylor of Voyager Space

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0400

I sat down to chat with Dylan Taylor, CEO and chairman of Voyager Space. Voyager Space has a contract to build America's next space station, STARLAB, in collaboration with NASA. Dylan I would say is probably one of the top five most significant names in the entire space industry. A lot of people know Bezos and Musk, but Dylan's in that bucket. He's got a message for us today around the importance of space as an industry for social advancement.

A lot of us get tangled up in thinking about space in the context of the mission to Mars. And it seems pipe dream-ish, Dylan brings us back down to reality, reframing space as a unique environment for scientific research, manufacturing, and societal advancement. He highlights Voyager's mission to scale up space infrastructure projects and recent milestones achieved with Airbus and SpaceX. Our conversation explores the implications of privately owned space infrastructure and the emergence of two distinct space ecosystems led by the US and China. Dylan emphasizes the benefits of privatization in advancing the space industry, citing SpaceX's innovations like reusing rocket boosters to reduce costs and increase accessibility to space. Dylan also shares his personal journey from a real estate executive to involvement in space exploration, highlighting the importance of following one's passion.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @DylanTaylor, @VoyagerSH
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn
Voyager Space Company Links: Website, Instagram, LinkedIn
Dylan Taylor’s Social Link: Instagram, LinkedIn
Book Recommendation: The Last Lecture

2024 Predictions Episode

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0400

In the closing episode for 2023, I’m discussing rapid-fire predictions with my colleagues—Phuong, Mike, and Chris—highlighting insights for the upcoming year.

Phuong discusses her predictions for 2024, focusing on AI's impact on businesses, particularly in marketing, customer service, and the rise of co-pilots. Mike dives into predictions about higher valuations for Series A, abundant growth market capital, increased M&A activity, and a potentially opened IPO market in 2024. Chris is foreseeing volatility across various asset classes, a potential credit crunch or crisis, and geopolitical tensions impacting global markets. He predicts lower interest rates, a higher S&P 500, unresolved conflicts in regions like Ukraine and the Middle East, and the likelihood of a new conflict arising, possibly in East Asia.

Please remember self-care during the holidays, take time off and take care of yourself for mental relaxation and well-being.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @Mikeyjrog
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Are Rate Cuts Coming? Breaking Down this Week's Big Fed Announcement.

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 13:00:00 -0400

This week we delve into the intricate dynamics of global markets and the impact of the Federal Reserve's decisions on economic shifts worldwide. Chris is back to dissect the recent tumultuous events in the public equity and bond markets. Our discussion centers on the significant shift in the Federal Reserve's stance, moving from a pessimistic outlook, indicating rate increases and economic slowdown, to a more lenient approach.

We touch on the potential intersection of political influence and economic policy, suggesting a plausible strategic move by the current administration for a rate cut in line with the election cycle. Also discussing the global repercussions of these market movements, with the US setting the tone for Western economies while affecting currency values and commodity prices worldwide.

We emphasize the complexity and interconnectedness of global economic systems, shedding light on how decisions made by the Federal Reserve reverberate across various regions and markets.

As usual, big thanks to Chris for taking the time to share his insights!

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this podcast are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The podcast; may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the podcast; does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The podcast; is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

Level Up Your Life: A List of Helpful Apple Features, Apps, Software and Must Reads

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 02:30:00 -0400

Description:

Instead of our usual discussions, I'm excited to share some recent tech discoveries that have caught my attention. These recommendations, I believe, can truly help you level up a few parts of your life. I've been exploring some fascinating Apple features, like stunning screensavers from Apple TV on Macs, widgets on the desktop, and a game-changing contact-sharing feature on iOS 17 that simplifies exchanging info at events. I highly recommend two impactful books: 'Unreasonable Hospitality' by Will Guidara for exceptional service and 'Essentialism' by Greg McKeown for efficiency in work and life. For software, Airtable stands out as a powerful cloud-based platform that could replace costly CRM systems for many companies. The iPhone health app surprises with a nifty at-home hearing test using the Mimi app. Lastly, I've come across two travel gadgets that have made big differences for me—a versatile Anchor portable charger and the AirFly dongle for seamless AirPods connectivity on flights.

I hope you find these recommendations useful. Thanks for tuning in, and catch you next week for more insights!

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @Mikeyjrog
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn
Product Links: https://amzn.to/3T8i7WM, https://amzn.to/3Tewhpl

Entrepreneurial Essentials: The Pillars of Founder Success

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 10:15:00 -0400

DESCRIPTION

This discussion revolves around what Phuong and I believe to be the essential qualities of a successful founder. We emphasize four key traits: grit, consistent execution, humility, and integrity. Phuong highlights how successful founders possess unwavering determination despite setbacks, actively learn from failures, execute plans effectively, remain open to feedback, and prioritize ethical decision-making, understanding its impact on the business long-term. I personally stress the importance of acknowledging and learning from failures while emphasizing the necessity of getting back up after setbacks. We both agree that these characteristics outweigh factors like education, wealth, or intelligence in determining success. The discussion concludes by underscoring the enduring significance of these traits for founders navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Unraveling Market Mysteries: A Deep Dive with Chris Zhang on Fed Influence and Global Turbulence

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 00:15:00 -0400

DESCRIPTION

This conversation between MPD and Chris provides a comprehensive analysis of current market dynamics, emphasizing the nuanced interplay between economic indicators, geopolitical tensions, and the impact on investment strategies. Our discussion underscores the complexity of financial markets, urging caution amidst shifting tones from central banks and global conflicts' potential repercussions on various sectors, encouraging a deeper understanding beyond surface-level market trends.

MPD and Chris discuss that despite global turmoil, the focus remains on market dynamics, predominantly influenced by the Fed rather than geopolitical unrest. Chris, well-versed in derivatives trading, brings a data-driven perspective. We delve into the job market's softening, citing a decline in job additions, elevated unemployment rates, and a cautious rise in average hourly earnings. While the Fed previously emphasized strong job growth and spending, Chairman Powell's recent dovish tone signals potential shifts in interest rate policies. Chris cautions against over-optimism in the market's response to the Fed's tone, highlighting the unaddressed impacts of conflicts in the Middle East and Russia-Ukraine zones, specifically on energy supply chains and global economies.

Disclaimer: note that this discussion does not constitute investment advice.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Mastering Pricing Strategy: Unveiling the Art of Business Positioning

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 00:15:00 -0400

DESCRIPTION

This week, Phuong and I are discussing pricing strategies. Pricing plays a critical role in various aspects of your business. You can either position yourself as the lowest or highest price player in the market, while being in the middle can cause confusion for customers.

Deciding whether you want a high or low volume business is essential. Choose a pricing model that aligns with your value proposition, such as monthly, annual, metered pricing, or revenue share. Ensure your pricing aligns with your overall business strategy, focusing on either high price and high quality or low price and high volume, but avoid mixing the two for the best results.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Creating Value for Real Estate Investors by Creating Value for People with Amy Rubenstein of Clear Investment Group LLC

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 00:15:00 -0400

DESCRIPTION

This week I’m joined by Amy Rubenstein, founder of Clear Investment Group LLC, a multifamily real estate firm focused on revitalizing distressed workforce housing. Amy's journey into real estate began by accident, and she highlights the tangible nature of the industry that drew her in. She discusses the transformative work her company does, emphasizing the alignment of profitability with social impact by improving living spaces for tenants.

Amy also identifies two areas in need of innovation within the real estate sector: key management and photo tracking. We discuss cost-effective technological solutions to streamline these processes. Despite concerns about the multifamily real estate market in 2024, Amy remains optimistic about its fundamentals and foresees potential loan renegotiations as opposed to a "bloodbath." This conversation sheds light on the real estate industry and its potential for innovation.

Thank you Amy for joining the pod this week!

Links:

Guest links: Clear Investment Group LLC Website, Clear Investment Group LLC LinkedIn
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

The Boardroom Blueprint: Maximizing Investor Relationships for Entrepreneurs

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 00:15:00 -0400

DESCRIPTION

Interplay’s Incubator Partner, Phuong and I discuss the importance of managing boards and investors effectively for entrepreneurs. We chat about how boards can either be a significant asset or a liability and provide guidance on how to ensure they are a valuable resource. It is important to carefully select board members who you trust and who have the best interests of your company in mind. Setting clear expectations, communicating transparently, and regularly connecting and nurturing the relationships are key. Phuong and I finish off the conversation chatting about how a well-structured board can be a valuable resource for entrepreneurs if best practices are followed, including making board meetings more than just updates and ensuring alignment of KPIs with the company's stage.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

What a lackluster IPO market means for the venture ecosystem + insights on the changing VC landscape

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 13:30:00 -0400

DESCRIPTION

In this week’s pod, I am joined by Mike Rogers, our VC Partner, to chat about the state of the market, especially in relation to technology companies and the venture capital space. We discuss the disappointment in recent tech IPOs, which have not performed as well as expected. Our conversation touches on the importance of strong IPOs for the entire venture ecosystem, as they drive liquidity events for investors and unlock talent for new ventures.

Our conversation dives into the changing landscape of venture capital, including the shift from traditional seed rounds to larger pre-seed rounds and the high expectations for Series A rounds. We emphasize that building real businesses with solid fundamentals is more important than inflated valuations.

Thanks Mike for joining me this week, always a good time.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @Mikeyjrog
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Our 100th Episode! How to pivot your startup and why it’s important / shouldn’t get a bad rap.

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 00:15:00 -0400

DESCRIPTION

In this week’s pod, we celebrate our 100th episode! I want to acknowledge the work of our amazing podcast producer, Will Richardson who keeps this going. The main topic of discussion is pivoting in the context of startups and entrepreneurship. Phuong, Incubator Partner at Interplay, provides insights into the pros and cons of pivoting and how to approach it strategically. She emphasizes that pivoting is a natural part of the early stages of a business and suggests that founders should continually evaluate and make changes to optimize their product, customer base, business model, and positioning.

Phuong also offers guidance on recognizing the right time to pivot, such as when initial efforts are not yielding results or when external factors impact the business. We discuss the importance of receiving honest feedback, not settling for vague responses and emphasize the value of finding the right balance between pivoting and sticking with a failing idea.

Thank you to Phoung and to our listeners for celebrating our 100th episode!

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay,
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Navigating the Changing Financial Landscape: A Conversation on Interest Rates, Politics, and Market Outlook

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 00:15:00 -0400

DESCRIPTION

On this week’s episode, I’m joined by Chris Zhang, Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Interplay, on the current state of the world markets and the shift in interest rates signaled by the Federal Reserve. This is Chris’ first time back on the pod since June, so we have a lot to dive into.

We discuss the mixed reactions in the market, with some seeing opportunities amidst the changes, especially in commercial real estate, while others are concerned about the potential long-term effects. Chris explains the implications of this shift on various financial assets and the mixed reactions in the market. We dive into political tensions and emphasize the importance of monitoring the 10-year Treasury yield as an indicator of economic health.

Chris also shares some hopeful news, highlighting that consumer spending and the job market remain strong, which provides a sense of optimism and supports the idea of a "soft landing."

As usual, big thanks to Chris for taking the time to share his insights!

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this <<insert advert type, i.e., podcast>> are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The <<insert advert type>> may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the <<insert advert type>> does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The <<insert advert type>> is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

Prepare Your Mind: Nutrition for Mental Wellbeing and Hygiene with Zak Williams of PYM

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s episode we have a very special guest join to talk about the future of mental wellbeing and hygiene. Zak Williams - son of the entertainer Robin Williams - shares how his journey has influenced the creation of his company PYM. PYM creates natural supplements with science-backed amino acids, vitamins and minerals to boost neurotransmitter health, an often overlooked part of mental health.

Research in nutritional psychiatry is gaining momentum, with organizations like Harvard Medical School and Stanford exploring the link between metabolic health and mental wellbeing. Zak's team at PYM has become educators and advocates, emphasizing the importance of connecting data environments to understand lifestyle factors' impact on mental health.

Big thanks to Zak for joining the pod and sharing his story!

Links:

Guest Links: PYM
Books Referenced: Brain Energy by Christoper Palmer
Follow us on Twitter: @zakwilliams, @youcanpym, @mpd, @interplay

Is a VC market upswing coming? Plus, how to hit the ground running after the summer slow down & how to craft a compelling value proposition.

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 00:15:00 -0400

Welcome back to Innovation w/ Mark Peter Davis. After taking a few months off from the pod, we’re back at it. Here’s what’s covered on this week’s episode:

Mike Rogers shares insights on the current market dynamics and data indicating a possible upturn in the venture capital market. The discussion emphasizes the importance of pricing your startup appropriately during different funding rounds.
Mike and MPD also discuss the growth stage and IPO market, including Instacart's potential IPO and its impact on the private market.
Mike also shares some tips on how entrepreneurs can hit the ground running after the summer slow down.
Phuong Ireland talks about the significance of crafting a clear and concise value proposition for startups and provides a tool to help define it.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @Mikeyjrog
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Summer Survival Guide for Founders: How to Navigate the Lull, Fundraising Tactics and Useful Parenting Strategies

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 00:15:00 -0400

Summer is upon us and - as we do every year - we’ll be taking a little podcast break until mid-September, so this is the last episode for a couple of months.

Since this one will be the most recent ep for a while, we chose to focus on two important topics to help founders navigate the summer lull: summer fundraising tactics + useful parenting strategies for the entrepreneurs out there raising kids AND a company.

Have a great summer everyone and see you in September. As usual, if there’s anything we can do to help, please feel free to reach out to us via socials and/or engage with us at interplay.vc/engage.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @Mikeyjrog
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

The Secrets to Managing Distributed Teams with Adam Nathan of Almanac

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 00:15:00 -0400

This week I sit down with Adam Nathan, Cofounder and CEO of Almanac, a collaboration platform that helps remote teams work on the internet, with more structure, more transparency, and fewer meetings.

Adam emphasizes that the debate between remote and office work is irrelevant because even before the COVID-19 pandemic, most companies were already operating online and utilizing tools like document editors, Slack, and Zoom. He refers to it as "internet work" and believes that remote work brings flexibility, focus, and improved productivity for employees. Adam argues that the transition to internet work is an inevitable force of change that cannot be reversed, despite some resistance from those who are invested in traditional office environments.

However, Adam also acknowledges that there are challenges to remote work. While remote teams offer benefits like global hiring and individual flexibility, there is a need for more structured and transparent workflows. Many teams still rely on traditional office mechanisms such as meetings and messages, which can overload calendars and hinder productivity. Adam suggests that successful remote teams work with more structure, transparency, and fewer meetings. He also addresses the importance of creating human connection and fostering synchronous collaboration in remote settings. By implementing structured best practices and thoughtful approaches, remote teams can overcome the cons associated with remote work and achieve effective collaboration.

Special thanks to Adam for joining the pod!

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @adampnathan, @AlmanacDocs, @mpd, @interplay,
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

How to construct a team and make your first hires + has the initial AI hype bubble burst?

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 11:45:00 -0400

This week’s pod is a two segment episode with my partners Phuong Ireland and Mike Rogers.

As usual, Phuong shares some great startup advice. This week she shares valuable insights on team construction and the key factors to consider when making your first hires.

Mike and I then discuss the current state of AI and its hype cycle. There’s no question AI is here to stay, but we note that the initial wave of hype and investments in the field is subsiding. We chat about the challenges of AI reliability and the presence of hallucinations in AI platforms, emphasizing that these technologies are not yet fully trustworthy. Despite this, we believe in the long-term potential of AI and its future impact on various industries.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @Mikeyjrog,
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

The importance of KPIs and how to avoid analysis paralysis

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 10:15:00 -0400

This week, Phuong and I discuss the importance of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for entrepreneurs. We emphasize the need to choose a limited number of KPIs to avoid analysis paralysis and prioritize actionable metrics. The primary KPI should align with the business model, such as revenue for most companies, and additional supporting metrics can provide a more comprehensive understanding of performance. They highlight the role of KPIs as a feedback mechanism to assess the effectiveness of strategies and suggest setting goals for the primary metric to drive growth. The episode emphasizes the value of being data-driven from the early stages of a startup and encourages entrepreneurs to start tracking KPIs as soon as possible.

Links:

Links: Interplay Incubator
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Effects of the recent debt ceiling resolution, the dichotomy of the stock market and bond market, and the butterknife problem

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 00:15:00 -0400

This week Chris Zhang and I discuss the impact of the recent debt ceiling resolution and the conflicting signals from the equity market and the bond market.

While the stock market remains calm and confident, the bond market indicates a continuing inflationary cycle and a decline in the long-term creditworthiness of US treasuries. Chris suggests that the bond market has historically been more accurate in its predictions.

We also touch on the regulatory actions against crypto companies. Chris emphasizes that it is still too early to predict what will happen with crypto and - on a more macro level - determine the winner in the global currency battle. He believes that market forces will ultimately determine the outcome.

As usual, some great insights from Chris on the complex dynamics and uncertainties surrounding the financial markets and the potential impact of these factors on the global economy.

Links:

Links: Interplay Family Office
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this <<insert advert type, i.e., podcast>> are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The <<insert advert type>> may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the <<insert advert type>> does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The <<insert advert type>> is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

Approaching Venture Capital with Intention w/ Seth Levine of Foundry

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0400

On this week’s pod ep I sit down for a chat with Seth Levine, Partner of Foundry. Seth has played a significant role in shaping the venture ecosystem over the past two decades and is known for his work in accelerating the democratization of innovation outside of Silicon Valley.

We cover a range of topics but do a double click on the importance of having a clear intention and plan for the future of a venture firm, which includes the need for VCs to adopt a business-building mindset. We agree that venture capital firms need to be better at running their own businesses and making strategic decisions for the long term, especially if the goal is to have the firm outlive its founders.

Seth is amazing and shares valuable insights into the dynamics of the venture capital industry and the efforts to advance society through entrepreneurship, a topic he covers in his book The New Builders. We chat about that book, plus the new one he’s currently working on (which I can’t wait to read).

Overall, this was a great chat. Big thanks to Seth for coming on the pod!

Links

Guest Links: Book | The New Builders by Seth Levine, Article | A Friedman doctrine‐- The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits
Follow us on Twitter: @sether, @foundryvc, @newbuildersbook, @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Ethics in the portfolio/VC relationship + a step by step guide for iterating your MVP

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 00:15:00 -0400

Here’s what’s covered on this week’s pod:

A step by step guide on how to iterate your MVP

Phuong and I discuss the importance of testing Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) to iterate and achieve product-market fit. She outlines a step-by-step process for testing MVPs, starting with defining test objectives and creating metrics to track performance. Fong emphasizes the significance of creating user personas and recruiting testers that represent different user types. By gathering feedback from testers, entrepreneurs can optimize their products to better serve each user group. Fong suggests providing clear instructions to testers and analyzing usage data to understand user behavior and identify areas for improvement. The iterative process of updating and refining the product based on feedback and data is also highlighted.

Dos and don’ts for portfolio/vc relationship ethics

Mike and I delve into the ethics of the portfolio venture capital (VC) relationship. They acknowledge that transparency and ethics should be the guiding principles but highlight instances where founders may skew data or misrepresent numbers. Mike suggests that founders should be open, transparent, and willing to ask for help when needed. He emphasizes the significance of maintaining trust and a healthy relationship with investors by being transparent about challenges and seeking support.

Links

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @Mikeyjrog, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Unlocking Capital: The Power of Venture Debt for Startups with Billy Libby of Upper90

Thu, 25 May 2023 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I do a deep dive into the world of venture debt with special guest Billy Libby, CEO and Co-founder of Upper90. Get ready to uncover a groundbreaking approach to financing early-stage startups that challenges the traditional equity-focused model. Upper90 is on a mission to make credit accessible to tech companies at an earlier stage, allowing founders to retain a greater ownership stake in their businesses. Billy shares valuable insights on how venture debt can provide a lifeline to entrepreneurs, highlighting real-world examples of asset-based lending and innovative solutions for capitalizing on growth opportunities. Whether you're an entrepreneur seeking financing options or simply curious about the evolving landscape of startup funding, this episode is a must-listen. Join the conversation and gain a fresh perspective on the intersection of technology, finance, and entrepreneurship.

Links

Follow us on Twitter: @Billy__Libby, @upper__90, @mpd, @interplay
Guest Links: Upper90
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

The ultimate guide to bootstrapping your startup + a conversation about the recalibration of Series C valuations

Thu, 18 May 2023 00:15:00 -0400

Here’s what’s covered on this week’s episode:

Phuong Ireland joins us to talk about bootstrapping startups. Bootstrapping means building and growing your business without external funding, relying on personal savings, revenue, or loans. It offers benefits like maintaining full ownership, having control over the company's direction, and focusing on profitability. It also makes you more attractive for future funding. However, bootstrapping comes with risks like limited funds and lack of access to mentorship and connections.
Mike Rogers shares his insights on the current state of Series C funding. Series C funding peaked in 2021, but 2022 showed a decline and 2023 is showing signs of following suit. This is due to a flight to quality, with investors being highly selective in their investments and demanding best in class metrics and profitability. On the flip side, many companies meeting these criteria choose not to raise funds in the current market. This confluence of factors has led to a smaller pool of eligible companies and a decrease in Series C funding.

Links:

Links: The Fundraising Rules
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @Mikeyjrog, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

China Has Arrived: A Deep Dive Into China's Tech Surge and Increased Standard of Living with Chris Zhang, Partner & CIO of Interplay Family Office

Thu, 11 May 2023 00:15:00 -0400

This week’s episode is a special one. I have a chat with my partner and CIO of the Interplay Family Office, Chris Zhang, to discuss China's remarkable advancements over the past few decades and what its current status looks like.

Chris is uniquely positioned to opine on this topic. He was born in China and spent the first 16 years of his life there, moving to the United States for high school. Since his move, he has visited China annually until Covid-19 halted all travel. After a three year hiatus, Chris visited this past April and was astounded at the progress he witnessed, including how built up his hometown of Zhengzhou had become (known as the iPhone city since they’ve produced most iPhones there).

That’s what inspired this episode. By challenging outdated perceptions and showcasing China's progress, this conversation is meant to highlight the need for a nuanced understanding of China's current status as a global powerhouse.

Here are some of the main topics covered:

Education and work ethic: Chris shares insights into his rigorous Chinese middle school experience, highlighting the dedication and discipline ingrained in the system.
China's private sector contributes over 50% to GDP more than 80% of employment opportunities, fostering a competitive landscape and driving innovation.
China's middle class has grown significantly, with the number of Chinese citizens enjoying a standard of living comparable to the US increasing steadily.
Chinese technology companies are making significant strides, particularly in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, with high-quality, affordable EVs gaining popularity globally.
China's infrastructure growth has been substantial, with the construction of entire cities and urbanization projects transforming landscapes previously dominated by farmlands and villages.
The Chinese currency, the yuan, is gaining prominence, as demonstrated by its surpassing of the US dollar in Chinese cross-border transactions.

Links:

Links: Interplay Family Office
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this <<insert advert type, i.e., podcast>> are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The <<insert advert type>> may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the <<insert advert type>> does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The <<insert advert type>> is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

The Secret to Building A Killer Minimum Viable Product + How to Bank Without the Panic: A Brainstorm on How to Stop Bank Runs

Mon, 01 May 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Here’s what’s covered on this week’s episode:

Startup Tip of the Week: Building a Killer MVP (Minimum Viable Product).
An update on the situation with First Republic Bank.
A brainstorm on how to stop bank runs.

Links:

Links: RSVP to Is This A Thing?!,
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

How the AI horse race will impact the future of search, validating your MVP, is the dark cloud of the FTX scandal gone and an update on the inflation battle

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 00:15:00 -0400

Here’s what’s covered on this week’s episode:

The AI horse race and how it will affect the future of search
Crypto prices are up. Is the dark cloud of FTX gone?
The Shanghai Upgrade for the Ethereum network.
Startup Tip of the Week: Validating an MVP
An update on the inflation battle.

Links:

Links: Bruvi, Ethereum's Shanghai Upgrade
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @brettpalatiello, @Mikeyjrog
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this <<insert advert type, i.e., podcast>> are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The <<insert advert type>> may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the <<insert advert type>> does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The <<insert advert type>> is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

Solving the Multi-Generational Wealth Puzzle with Taylor Adams of Belief Partners

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 05:00:00 -0400

On this week’s episode, I interview Taylor Adams, a fifth-generation family member who is an entrepreneur, investor, and coach to families on multi-generational wealth. We discuss the challenges of managing wealth across generations while empowering individuals to find their purpose, as well as the importance of education, purpose, and giving back.

Taylor suggests that money should be used to create opportunities and make a difference in the world and emphasizes the importance for families with wealth to tackle the challenges that come with generational wealth head on.

Taylor provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of multi-generational wealth. It is a must-listen for anyone who is interested in growing wealth for future generations.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

How & when to build your startup’s sales team, a discussion about the open governance opportunities that come with crypto, and a deep dive into the modern tech-enabled restaurant industry with Vivian Wang of Landed

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0400

This week's episode has a special guest, Vivian Wang - Founder and CEO of Landed. Landed is the first end-to-end recruiting platform helping restaurants and hospitality employers hire top-notch candidates fast. During the interview Vivian and I chat all about how Landed is making it easier for restaurants to hire folks (which is especially helpful due to the incredibly high turnover rates), how tech is and will affect the restaurant industry and strategies for navigating Y Combinator (which Vivian is a graduate of).

In addition to the guest interview with Vivian, we have two partner meeting segments. Here’s what’s covered:

Startup Tip of the Week: how/when to build your startup’s sales team.
Blockchain: Brett shares news about a recent crypto airdrop from Arbitrum (an Ethereum Layer 2) and we discuss how crypto enables an amazing ability for open governance.

Enjoy.

Links:

Links: Landed
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @brettpalatiello, @vivwang_
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this <<insert advert type, i.e., podcast>> are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The <<insert advert type>> may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the <<insert advert type>> does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The <<insert advert type>> is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

The game theory of a bank run, navigating advisor relationships, and bond laddering explained

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Here’s what’s covered on this week’s episode:

The fallout from SVB’s closure.
Different strategies founders can keep in mind when deciding on where to keep and invest their cash reserves, including bond laddering.
With the banking system's current status, there has been a lot of crypto activity. Brett breaks it down.
Startup Tip of the Week: how to navigate advisor relationships

Links:

Links: Rho | Business finances made frictionless, Chelsea Capital, Janet Yellen’s testimony
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @brettpalatiello, @Mikeyjrog
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this <<insert advert type, i.e., podcast>> are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The <<insert advert type>> may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the <<insert advert type>> does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The <<insert advert type>> is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

Banking Madness: A before and after analysis of Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse, plus what really happened with Silvergate

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 02:30:00 -0400

In the past week three prominent banks closed their doors. On this week's episode we break down what's happening.

Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @brettpalatiello
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Tax tips for startups, content checkin including our go to sources for news, and indexing against sandbagging

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 00:15:00 -0400

Tax season is upon us so we decided to bring on a guest from the Interplay ecosystem to help break down some must-knows for startups when navigating the process. The guest is Kate Kelly, CEO and Co-Founder of Chelsea Capital. Chelsea Capital is a financial services company, offering alternative financing, accounting, tax, and fractional CFO services. Kate shares some great tax season tips for startups.

Here’s what’s covered during the other partner meeting segments:

Mike and I discuss our current content intake and strategies for consuming news.
Chris and I chat about the last round of Q4 earnings and how those earnings stacked up against estimates. We also chat about Foxconn’s announcement to open up new plants in India and what that means for China.

Links:

Links: Chelsea Capital
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @Mikeyjrog
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this <<insert advert type, i.e., podcast>> are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The <<insert advert type>> may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the <<insert advert type>> does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The <<insert advert type>> is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

How to Build & Develop a Venture Capital Firm with Peter Hebert of Lux Capital

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s episode we’re going back to our interview roots as we focus solely on a guest interview. For the chat, I sit down with Peter Hebert - Co-Founder & Managing General Partner of Lux Capital - to discuss strategies on how to build and develop a venture capital firm. Lux has been around for a long time and is one of the premier VCs out there so Peter - as usual - shares some great insights. Enjoy!

Links:

Links: Lux Capital
Follow us on Twitter: @peterjhebert, @mpd, @interplay
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

A breakdown of the tech innovation cycle, Tesla’s recall, the importance of customer support, Brett is back with a state of crypto and blockchain update, and spy balloon madness

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 00:15:00 -0400

Here’s what’s covered on this week’s pod:

Tesla’s recall.
Predictions on when self-driving cars will be the norm.
The process of the tech innovation cycle for sectors and industries.
Startup Tip of the Week: The Importance of Customer Support
Brett is back with a state of crypto and blockchain update, including an update on the SEC’s stance on staking.
Spy balloon madness and US China relations.

Links:

Links: Staking-as-a-Service | Office Hours with Gary Gensler,
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @Mikeyjrog, @brettpalatiello
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this <<insert advert type, i.e., podcast>> are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The <<insert advert type>> may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the <<insert advert type>> does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The <<insert advert type>> is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

VC pace is picking up, messy earnings results, and Startup Tip of the Week: How startups land partnerships Part 2

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 12:45:00 -0400

Here’s what’s covered on this week’s pod:

Startup Tip of the Week: How startups land partnerships Part 2
Messy corporate earnings results
Is the January bump in the economy the start of a trend?
A lack of mega rounds
The aftermath of January’s job data

Links:

Links: Explained Season 2 Episode 3 “Animal Intelligence”
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @Mikeyjrog
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this <<insert advert type, i.e., podcast>> are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The <<insert advert type>> may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the <<insert advert type>> does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The <<insert advert type>> is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

The power of partnerships for startups, Q1 tech earnings, surprise January jobs data + interview with Tomer Biger of Noble about embedded finance

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I interview Tomer Biger (Co-Founder & CEO of Noble) about his company and the embedded finance space they operate in + we cover the following topics:

Startup Tip of the Week: The power of partnerships and how to choose the right/best partners
Surprise January jobs data and what it means for the US economy
The FED’s latest actions
US China relations
Q1 corporate tech earnings

Links:

Guest Links: Noble
Follow us on Twitter: @BeNobleHQ, @mpd, @interplay, @Mikeyjrog
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this <<insert advert type, i.e., podcast>> are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The <<insert advert type>> may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the <<insert advert type>> does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The <<insert advert type>> is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

The new Series A is the old Series A… again, the institutionalization of venture capital, B2B pricing strategies, the strength of USD, and households are starting conserve capital

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 00:15:00 -0400

Here’s what we cover during this week’s Partner Meeting segments:

The current state of Series A valuations
Thrive Capital sells stake and the institutionalization of venture capital
Current state of inflation
Data is showing how households are finally starting to conserve capital by spending less and saving more as they plan for a downturn
What it means when labor participation goes up
Strength of USD and what that might mean for US startups selling to cash rich countries
Startup Tip of the Week: B2B pricing strategies

Links:

Books: Fall in Love with the Problem Not the Solution by Uri Levine
Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @Mikeyjrog
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this <<insert advert type, i.e., podcast>> are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The <<insert advert type>> may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the <<insert advert type>> does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The <<insert advert type>> is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

2023 Predictions & How Founders Should Navigate The Near Future

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 09:45:00 -0400

With another year almost in the books, we take a look back at some of the notable events and lessons learned in 2022 + discuss our predictions for 2023 and suggest ways founders can navigate the near future.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @brettpalatiello, @Mikeyjrog
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this <<insert advert type, i.e., podcast>> are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The <<insert advert type>> may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the <<insert advert type>> does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The <<insert advert type>> is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

Is AI going to replace us, Co-Founder relationship management, China’s updated Covid policy, and Russian oil price cap

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 00:15:00 -0400

Here’s what we cover during this week’s Partner Meeting segments:

Open AI’s ChatGPT and what it means for tech + society
Startup Tip of the Week: Co-Founder relationship management
US domestic economic data
China’s updated Covid policy
Russian oil price cap and whether or not it will work

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @brettpalatiello, @Mikeyjrog
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this <<insert advert type, i.e., podcast>> are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The <<insert advert type>> may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the <<insert advert type>> does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The <<insert advert type>> is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

VC deal flow is down and insider rounds are up, Apple’s in-app purchase policy and what it mean for mobile blockchain adoption, China’s zero Covid policy protests, and community building startup advice

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 00:15:00 -0400

Here’s what we cover during this week’s Partner Meeting segments:

VC deal flow has slowed, but there’s still a lot of action including an increase of insider rounds
Apple’s in-app purchase policy and what it means for mobile blockchain adoption
Dissecting November’s economic data
China’s zero Covid policy protests
Startup Tip of the Week: Community Building

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mpd, @interplay, @brettpalatiello, @Mikeyjrog
Links: Podcast with Lisa Barnett of Little Spoon, Gavekal Research - Covid And China’s Polical Choices, Vanguard investor pulse: Anxiety and cash needs on the rise
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this <<insert advert type, i.e., podcast>> are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The <<insert advert type>> may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the <<insert advert type>> does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The <<insert advert type>> is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

Twittertainment, social media strategies for startups, how to use crypto principles to avoid another FTX + interview with Jehan Luth of Banyan

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 00:15:00 -0400

This week’s pod ep is another Partner Meeting + guest interview combo.

Here’s what we cover during the Partner Meeting segments:

Twitter and some thoughts on the situation
An update on the continued FTX fallout and how classic crypto principles like Proof-of-Reserves and self custody could help us avoid similar situations in the future
G20 summit
Domestic midterm elections and potential ways a gridlocked gov might affect the economy
Startup Advice of the Week: social media strategies for startups

After the Partner Meeting segments I chat with Jehan Luth, Founder & CEO Banyan. Banyan is a global infrastructure company for item-level receipt data that allows its partners to enrich transactions. This is a super interesting topic that led to some great tangents about how new tech enabled data collection will unlock a whole world of studies and possibilities.

Follow us on Twitter: @jehan_luth, @get_banyan, @mpd
Guest Links: Banyan
Partner Segment References: Relief (debt app),
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this <<insert advert type, i.e., podcast>> are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The <<insert advert type>> may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the <<insert advert type>> does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The <<insert advert type>> is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

Partner Meeting: Are tech layoffs an indicator of what’s to come, CPI data that’s not bad news, FTX and the ensuing crypto mayhem, and how to build marketplaces

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0400

On this week’s Partner Meeting episode we cover the following topics:

Recent tech layoffs and whether or not it’s an indicator for what’s to come
CPI data that suggests inflation is slowing
The FTX debacle and what that means for crypto
Business Lesson: building marketplaces

Show Links:

Podcast: The King of Marketplaces with Fabrice Grinda of FJ Labs
Books: The Cold Start Problem: How to Start and Scale Network Effects by Andrew Chen

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this podcast/vodcast are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The podcast/vodcast may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the podcast/vodcast does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The podcast/vodcast is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

The danger of overcapitalizing a startup, Reddit releases NFTs, pricing strategies + interview with Alon Talmor of Ask-AI

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s pod ep we’re combining our traditional guest interview style with the new partner meeting format. We start with the partner meeting and then I chat with a guest.

Here’s what we cover during the partner meeting segments:

The connective tissue between the amount of capital a startup raises and future valuations
New domestic data that is actually good news, rather than good news masking bad news
Reddit NFTs, how it brought 3+ millions users to blockchain and how it’s an example of how web2.5 will play an integral role in onboarding new users
Startup Advice of the Week: Pricing strategies

After the partner meeting segments I chat with Alon Talmor of Ask-AI to discuss how his business is using AI to create a Google answers solution for enterprises. Ask-AI is based out of Israel, so we also chat about the current tech scene and startup trends in that area. It’s a great conversation. Enjoy.

Follow us on Twitter: @AlonTalmor, @mpd
Guest Links: Ask-AI
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this <<insert advert type, i.e., podcast>> are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The <<insert advert type>> may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the <<insert advert type>> does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The <<insert advert type>> is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

Doing Good Can Make You Money with Tensie Whelan, Director of NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s guest episode I chat with Tensie Whelan, a Clinical Professor of Business and Society and the Director of NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business.

Many people think that sustainability and profits don’t align, but Tensie takes us through how they can by connecting the financial sustainability of a business to the social and environmental sustainability of a business's core focus. She believes companies should make money by doing better.

She also runs through the flaws of the broader ESG framework, suggesting ways to improve it.

Before she built the Center for Sustainable Business at NYU Stern, Tensie ran the Rainforest Alliance - a multinational non-profit designed to help conserve rainforests. We dive into that issue and touch on ways to tackle it as well

These are some fascinating and important topics that I think every entrepreneur should think about. I hope you enjoy it.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @TensieWhelan, @NYUSternCSB, @mpd
Guest Links: NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business, Rainforest Alliance,
Articles by Tensie:
ESG Reports Aren't a Replacement for Real Sustainability
How to Talk to Your CFO About Sustainability
Sustainable Market Share Index from NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Partner Meeting: What founders should do when deals aren’t getting done, China’s 20th National Congress results and what it means for the global economy, Q3 earnings start to roll in, OFAC sanctions in crypto, and should you have a co-founder

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s Partner Meeting episode we cover the following topics:

What founders should do when deals aren’t getting done
Q3 earnings start to roll in
China’s 20th National Congress and what it means for the global economy
OFAC sanctions in crypto
Business Lesson: should you have a co-founder?

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this podcast/vodcast are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The podcast/vodcast may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the podcast/vodcast does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The podcast/vodcast is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

The Fintech VC Powerhouse & Penetrating the LATAM Market with Mike Packer of QED Investors

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s guest episode, I sit down with Mike Packer, Partner at QED Investors.

QED is one of the big dogs in FinTech investing. They have roughly $5B of AUM and the firm was founded by one of the founders of Capital One.

We obviously get into all things FinTech, but we also dive into the Latin American market, where Mike happens to focus.

If you’re interested in either fintech or LATAM, or the intersection of the two this pod is for you. Enjoy.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @mikepacker_qed, @QEDInvestors, @mpd
Guest Links: QED Investors Website
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Partner Meeting: Resetting the bones of the economy, work-life integration, interoperability and Cosmos, and the importance of customer insights

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s Partner Meeting episode we cover the following topics:

Jobs report
Economic historical norms
The war in Ukraine
Blockchain interoperability and Cosmos
Work-life integration
The importance of customer insights and how to use that data to help inform the direction of your business

*DISCLAIMER*

Interplay Family Office LLC (“Interplay”) is registered as an investment adviser with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. Information about the qualifications and business practices of Interplay is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov._ Interplay only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Offering of asset management services through Interplay is pursuant to an investment advisory agreement.The views expressed in this podcast/vodcast are subject to change based on market and other conditions. The podcast/vodcast may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.Information communicated during the podcast/vodcast does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general market information. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. The podcast/vodcast is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. Neither Interplay nor its advisory persons render tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and legal advisors for advice concerning your circumstances.

Reimagining Surrogacy with Dr. Brian Levine of Nodal

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On today’s episode I chat with Brian Levine, the Founder and CEO of Nodal.

Nodal is a marketplace that matches surrogates with families that want to have children. Their mission is to significantly reduce the time and cost required to secure a surrogate by cutting out the middlemen who currently control the market. If they succeed, they will help more families have children.

There’s a lot of nuance in this market. We discuss stigmas, the impact of Roe v Wade being overturned and challenges caused by profiteering in the overall healthcare system. If you’re interested in healthcare, this is a great one for you. Enjoy.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @nodalhealth, @mpd
Guest Links: Nodal
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Partner Meeting: VC’s current pace, corporations and NFT adoption, BOE's intervention attempt & Interplay’s Superman Analysis

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 00:15:00 -0400

We’ve been at this podcast thing for a few years now. I’ve had some amazing conversations and have learned a TON, but we’ve decided that it’s time to try something new.

I get some of my most trusted and valuable updates from the partners at Interplay, so we’ve decided to try to capture some of those convos and share them with you.

Introducing, the Partner Meeting.

I’m going to have a quick one on one chat with four partners from Interplay about their area of expertise.

Segment 1: Mike Rogers - partner of our venture capital vertical - will come on to chat about VC and startup trends.

Segment 2: Chris Zhang - partner of our Family Office - is going to cover global macro trends.

Segment 3: Brett Palatiello - partner of our blockchain vertical - is going to fill us in on the latest in the world of blockchain, crypto and web3.

Segment 4: Phuong Ireland - partner of our incubator - is going to share a business tip of the week.

So without further ado, let’s dive in.

PS we need better names that segment one, two, three and four, so if you have any ideas, please share!

Growth Hacking With PR with Gregory Galant of Muck Rack and The Shorty Awards

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On this week's episode I chat with Gregory Galant, the Co-Founder and CEO of Muck Rack and the Co-Founder and CEO of The Shorty Awards.

Muck Rack is a Public Relations management platform that helps organizations find the right journalists to pitch, report on media coverage and prove the value of their work.

Greg has been in the NY startup game for a long time.He famously launched The Shorty Awards where they gave out awards for the best tweets in the early days of Twitter. Along the way he tinkered with a dozen business ideas until Muck Rack finally hit and took him to the moon.

During our chat we talk about Muck Rack, the PR industry and his wisdom about entrepreneurship. Enjoy.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @gregory, @mpd
Guest Links: Muck Rack, The Shorty Awards, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

FICO Scores: A Complete Breakdown with Freddie Huynh

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On this week's episode I chat with Freddie Huynh, a veteran data scientist in the credit risk space. Most notably, Freddie oversaw the development of the FICO Score from 1996 to 2015.

It was really before analytics and data is what it is today. In a way, Freddie is one of the OG data scientists, one of the original guys out in that space. During our chat we discuss how the FICO Score works, we break down some of the urban myths about how scores are calculated, and we chat about the evolution of the data science industry. Enjoy.

Show Links:

Guest Links: LinkedIn
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

LATAM Awakening as a Tech Hub | Jose Bonilla, Co-Founder & CEO of Chiper

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On today’s episode I chat with Jose Bonilla, Co-Founder and CEO of Chiper. Chiper is the leading B2B distributor of consumer goods to corner stores in Latin America. They’re moving hundreds of thousands of products every month across Colombia, Mexico and Brazil.

Corner stores are prominent in some cities in the US, but in other places around the world they have a massive market share of grocery sales. In India it’s around 90% and in LATAM they account for about 50% of groceries.

Jose is more than the founder of Chiper, he’s one of the godfathers of the Colombian startup scene. He’s a cofounder of Imaginamos, a development shop that became a startup studio. His partner Simon spun Rappi out of their studio and it’s now a mega-unicorn in the region that has raised over $2B. Jose spun out Chiper. Collectively they’ve trained thousands of future entrepreneurs.

We talk all about Chiper, tips for founders and entrepreneurs, and the start up scene in latin and south America. It’s a fascinating chat. Enjoy!

Show Links:

Guest Links: Chiper
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Summer Break 2022 Announcement

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 00:15:00 -0400

Hey everyone,

It’s that time of year again - the pod’s second summer!

Like last year, we’re not going to release any new episodes for July and August, so I just wanted to let you know that we’re not leaving you hanging.

We’re going to focus on recording new interviews and ideate on some other content ideas.

Though there won’t be new episodes, we’ll be releasing some snippets and highlights from past episodes on Twitter, YouTube, and our brand new TikTok account.

The username for our TikTok is Interplay.vc

Last but not least, I just wanted to give a heartfelt thank you to everyone who’s been tuning in to the pod. I truly appreciate the support.

I hope you all have a great summer and we’ll see you on the other side!

Until then,

MPD

Next Gen Sports Media with Dan Porter of Overtime

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On today’s episode I chat with Dan Porter, Co-Founder and CEO of Overtime.

Overtime is the leading brand for the next generation of sports fans. Dan and his team at Overtime identified that the traditional sports media players were (and still are) heavily invested in the old infrastructure like cable deals. That left an opportunity to create an agile sports media brand that would cater to the younger generation utilizing new technology such as social platforms.

What started as an app turned into a community and has now morphed into creating and managing sports leagues. They currently operate two leagues OTE and OT7, one basketball and football.

Dan is a startup guru. He’s sold a few companies before starting Overtime and teaches entrepreneurship at NYU. If you’re interested in media, the business of sports or entrepreneurship this episode will have something for you. Enjoy.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @overtime, @tfadp, @mpd
Guest Links: Overtime, OTE
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

Making Crypto Accessible to the Masses with Michael Sonnenshein of Grayscale Investments

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I sit down with the CEO of Grayscale Investments, Michael Sonnenshein.

Grayscale is one of the biggest heavyweights in the world of crypto investing. They offer investors direct access to crypto. Their premier product, the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, is a long-bitcoin offering that anyone can access like they would a normal stock. You can simply buy the ticker. This is big, especially for folks looking to invest their money that exists in certain portfolios, like retirement savings accounts. With over 20b of assets across 17 investment vehicles they facilitate many people’s first interaction with crypto and Michael is at the center of it.

Crypto is currently down, the market is taking a hit seemingly in-line with the state of the broader stock markets so it was great to hear Michael’s perspective on the market and the future of crypto applications. Enjoy.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @Sonnenshein, @Grayscale, @mpd
Guest Links: Grayscale Investments
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Democratizing Machine Learning to Predict the Future with Richard Harris of Black Crow AI

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On today’s pod I chat with Richard Harris, the Founder & CEO of Black Crow AI.

Black Crow is a no-code, real-time machine-learning based predictive software that helps companies understand likely customer behavior.

Richard’s a veteran entrepreneur and has been involved in tech since the 90s. He cut his teeth in the world of consulting, was involved with Travelocity during the dot com boom, then has continued to be a serial founder.

As you’ll hear him explain, the world is turning into a browser. Between mobile devices, computers, wearable tech, self driving cars - real time data will be streaming from every part of our lives. He’s using this insight to build a company to help startups and brands collect and understand their first party data so that they can increase revenue and margins.

In addition to discussing how Black Crow operates and the machine learning industry, we also talk about some strategies for how founders can navigate down market cycles - like the one we’re entering now. He’s been through three of these cycles and has some very helpful wisdom. If you started your company after 2010, then I definitely recommend that you give this one a listen.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @blackcrowai, @mpd
Guest Links: Black Crow AI
Referenced Content: Waking Up app
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Please note, Interplay is an investor in Black Crow.

How to Sell Your Startup with Andrew Gazdecki of MicroAcquire

Thu, 19 May 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I chat with Andrew Gazdecki, Founder & CEO of MicroAcquire. MicroAcquire is a marketplace that helps software companies match with interested buyers.

Andrew is a serial founder with a clear passion for entrepreneurship - which I obviously love. After selling his last company, he embarked on his current mission to help founders sell their companies more easily. He’s making a ton of progress. A significant number of companies are being sold through MicroAcquire every month.

During our chat we went well beyond MicroAcquire. We discussed Andrews’s tips for being a solo founder and dove deep into how to sell a company - where we covered important strategies to consider, the M&A process and market dynamics.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @agazdecki, @microacquire, @mpd
Guest Links: MicroAcquire
Referenced Content: Andrew’s skateboard petition from when he was a kid, MPD’s article about M&A
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Please note, Interplay is an investor in MicroAcquire.

Solving The Admin Nightmare For Private Markets with Ryan Eisenman of Arch

Thu, 12 May 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I chat with Ryan Eisenman, Co-Founder & CEO of Arch. Arch is a tech-enabled service that helps private investors organize all of the paperwork associated with their investments.

Collecting statements, tax documents and legal docs from private markets has become a nightmare for investors, and Arch is providing a way to solve that. Ryan

interestingly compares the admin of the private markets to what it used to be for public companies back when companies issued paper stock certificates.

Arch’s tech tentacles into dozens of platforms to centralize data and the flow of information seamlessly.

During the convo we discuss the Arch solution, startup lessons and the fairness of investor accreditation laws in the US. Enjoy.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @Ryeisenman, @mpd
Guest Links: Arch
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

20% of Children Have Learning Differences, This Startup Is Here to Help | Diana Heldfond of Parallel

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I chat with Diana Heldfond, Founder & CEO of Parallel. Parallel is an edtech platform empowering students with learning differences by providing them with a lower cost, faster solution for getting the support they need. Parallel is tackling a big problem. According to Diana 1 in 5 students has a learning and thinking difference that her platform can help address.

Their service is cheaper and faster because it’s tech-enabled.

They create efficiencies by automating the admin work that specialists used to have to do and by mixing and matching specialists to make sure fewer specialists bottleneck the process. This has brought the price of care down by a whopping 50%. And it allows parents to get their child’s assessment done in days, whereas it used to take weeks. They work directly with families and with school districts. It’s pretty smart.

It’s always so cool to see founders start a company that hits close to home. Diana was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. That didn’t hold her back - she went to Georgetown and worked on Wall Street before starting Parallel.

It’s a great conversation. I learned a lot and hope you do too. Enjoy.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @dheldfond, @joinparallel_us, @mpd
Guest Links: Parallel
Referenced Topics: The Lime Connect Fellowship Program
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

The Contrarian VC with Jeremy Levine of Bessemer Venture Partners

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I chat with Jeremy Levine, a Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners. Bessemer has been around for over 100 years and was originally founded by a family that partnered with Andrew Carnegie back in the day.

Jeremy has been at the firm for 21 years and has seen a few cycles. He’s a hell of an investor and has quite the track record. He’s been on the Forbes Midas List and his investments include the likes of Yelp, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Shopify.

If you’re interested in how the VC industry works this is a great conversation for you. We cover how Bessemer operates, how to be a good early-stage investor, the impact of macro trends on the VC landscape, Jeremy’s point of view on contrarian investing and much more. Enjoy.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @jeremyL, @mpd
Guest Links: Bessemer Venture Partners
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

The Inside Scoop on the US Healthcare System with Chas Sanders of MARGIN

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I chat with the Founder and CEO of MARGIN, Chas Sanders. MARGIN is a tech-enabled procurement solution that helps Ambulatory Medical Centers purchase the equipment they need to operate. Apparently, before MARGIN supplies were purchased via phone calls and fax machines. MARGIN has not only put that process on the Internet, but they have also helped doctors to reduce their spend by 15-20%. That’s big bucks - in many cases that’s hundreds of thousands of dollars per office.

Chas is a veteran of the healthcare industry. He’s been an executive at Zimmer Biomet, DaVita and others. After that he stepped out of the industry to launch MARGIN.

In addition to hearing about his company and lessons learned as a founder, what’s great about this conversation is hearing a sophisticated business person provide insights into why the healthcare industry is dysfunctional. And low and behold, one of the reasons is that it’s managed in a similar way to the government of communist Russia. Enjoy.

Show Links:

Follow us on LinkedIn: /chassanders, /markpeterdavis
Guest Links: MARGIN
Mentioned Media/Organizations: Vinod Dasa: Doc Social, Aaron Fritts: BackTable
Books: The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Jeff Cox
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

**** MARGIN is an Interplay Incubator portfolio company.

The Secret to Raising Capital for Your Company or VC Fund with Jason Kirby of Thunder.vc

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 00:15:00 -0400

I’m super excited about this week’s episode because it hits close to home. If you’ve listened to the pod before, you’ve probably heard me mention the passion project I’m involved with, a platform that’s helping to democratize access to capital called Thunder. On this week’s episode I sit down with Thunder’s Co-Founder and CEO, Jason Kirby.

To give a bit more context, Thunder is a company that’s come out of the Interplay Foundry, the part of Interplay that builds companies from scratch. Jason is the incredible CEO we brought in to build and grow Thunder.

Thunder is a platform that connects founders and VCs by utilizing a double opt-in, AI-based matching protocol that not only creates relevant deal flow for all parties, but also helps everyone save time and avoid spam. We started this with the mission of helping founders that lacked a strong network raise capital.

Jason is a serial entrepreneur and has done an incredible job so far. Not only has he advanced the business, but he has also advanced the vision. I think this company is going to materially improve the way capital flows in the alternative asset classes such as venture capital. I’m so excited to watch what he does and help support him. Be sure to check it out at thunder.vc.

During our chat we talk all about how Thunder works, how it helps both founders and investors, why it’s important for platforms like it to exist and much more. Enjoy.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @jasonkirby, @mpd
Guest Links: Thunder.vc
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

NFT 2.0: Creating Real Value with Sterling Campbell of Minotaur

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I chat with Sterling Campbell, CEO of Minotaur. Minotaur is a web3 platform that helps people and brands launch NFT projects. There are a lot of steps - including a fair bit of technology - required to take an NFT launch from concept to launch. Minotaur’s tech-enabled service does all of this. As they put it, they “bring together artists, blockchain engineers and community managers to build successful NFT projects that can scale.”

Sterling has been in NFTs since 2017, which for this space is a long time, so he’s been around the block a few times and learned a bunch of stuff.

If you are still scratching your head when you hear about NFT, well he breaks it down pretty well in this conversation.

He also dives into what’s wrong with the industry right now and how he is hoping for a transition to what he calls NFTs 2.0, where NFTs flip from their focus on providing membership access to being technically more integrated as a method for adding value to communities.

Sterling is the right guy for this space - he has lived at the nexus of media, entertainment and business. And as far as being in a risky space - that’s not really an issue. He tells us about the time his parachute didn’t open while sky diving.

Oh yeah…and if that wasn’t enough…he’s a DJ that toured with the likes of Lil John and T-Pain. Enjoy the conversation.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @djsterlingc, @mpd
Guest Links: Minotaur
Guest Articles: NFTs: What You’re Missing And Where They’re Going Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

**Note** I’m an investor in the company.

The King of Marketplaces with Fabrice Grinda of FJ Labs

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 00:15:00 -0400

This week I chatted with Fabrice Grinda, Founding Partner at FJ Labs. FJ Labs is a VC that specializes in marketplaces and invests in every geography in every category at any stage. As Fabrice puts it they do angel investing at venture scale, meaning they don’t lead rounds but do a massive number of investments every year. Last year they made almost 200 investments.

Fabrice is super interesting beyond being a VC. He’s been a serial entrepreneur for a couple of decades at this point and has interesting views on wealth and impact.

He started what was essentially the ebay for Europe and then OLX, the Craigslist for the rest of the world.

During our chat he shares some incredibly useful tips for entrepreneurs - especially for those who are interested in marketplaces. We talk all about his approach to venture capital, how FJ Labs operates and makes decisions and much more. Enjoy.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @fabricegrinda, @mpd
Guest Links: FJ Labs
Guest Articles: Pandemic, Populism and Policy Failure – The Surprising Case for Optimism in 2020
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Using Tech to Cure the Opioid Epidemic with Zack Gray of Ophelia

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 00:15:00 -0400

This week I chat with Zack Gray, Co-Founder and CEO of Ophelia. Ophelia is helping to combat the opioid crisis by revamping the drug rehab model. As they put it, their mission is to “replace folklore with science, drug dealers with doctors, and stigma with privacy, convenience, and choice.”

Covered by either health insurance or a monthly subscription of $195, Ophelia helps people struggling with addiction by plugging them into their platform that connects them with clinicians that use modern, science based treatments.

We chat all about the company and the general opioid epidemic, including its history and the failed government response. Zack breaks it all down for us. He also shares why he started the company in the first place, which has a touching personal story about the loss of a loved one to opioids. Ophelia and Zack are on a mission and Interplay is proud to be an investor.

As usual, the conversation goes beyond just the formal topics. Zach studied astrophysics and philosophy at Columbia and it’s safe to say he’s a deep thinker. We talk about whether for-profit companies are good or evil, a new concept for taxation based on social utility and much more. Enjoy.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @meetophelia, @zarkgray, @mpd
Guest Links: Ophelia
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

How To Get A Job In VC with John Gannon of The VC Careers Blog and GoingVC

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 00:15:00 -0400

John Gannon is Founder of The VC Careers Blog and Co-Founder of GoingVC.

Between these two endeavors, John has become one of the goto channels for getting a job in venture capital. He started The VC Careers blog shortly after we graduated business school together in the late 2000s. Since then, it’s scaled and become one of the sources of transparency in the VC industry, listing available jobs, compensation and much more.

In addition to his prolific blogging career, John started an educational program called GoingVC a few years ago. They have graduated over 400 people into the ecosystem with over half of them going into professional VC roles. Impressive stuff.

It was a blast catching up with John and learning more about GoingVC, discussing important VC trends to keep an eye on and much more. Enjoy.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @johnmgannon / @mpd
Guest Links: The VC Careers Blog, GoingVC
Mentioned Content Links: Podcast - Smart Passive Income by Pat Flynn
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

From ConnectU to SumZero, The Journey of Divya Narendra

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 00:15:00 -0400

Divya Narendra is the Founder & CEO of SumZero, an investment community where peer-reviewed professional investment research is shared amongst its members. Its network of analysts is growing rapidly and offers some extraordinary insights. If you’re interested in public equities - check it out.

In addition to SumZero, Divya sits on the board of Gemini, one of the leading crypto exchanges, so - as you can guess - we went down the crypto rabbit hole.

Before his professional career, Divya attended Harvard where he became friends with the Winklevoss twins. If you’ve seen the movie The Social Network, Divya is the 3rd founder of ConnectU. Divya shares some fun stories about that chapter of his life - including crashing the set of The Social Network.

Big thanks to Divya for joining me on the pod to share his story.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @divyanarendra / @sumzero @mpd
Guest Links: SumZero website
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Tovala: Building a Subscription Unicorn with David Rabie, Co-Founder & CEO of Tovala

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 00:15:00 -0400

This week I chatted with David Rabie, Co-Founder & CEO of Tovala.

As Tovala puts it, they provide impossibly convenient home-cooking. They invented a smart oven that perfectly cooks the chef-crafted meals that they offer, which makes them an interesting part hardware / part subscription hybrid.

Between choosing what to eat, buying the ingredients, cooking the food and cleaning up the dishes, people spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Tovala has created a solution that streamlines that whole process and still gets you a home-cooked meal at the end of it. They’ve been gaining traction and were actually on Oprah’s 2021 Favorite Things List. Interplay is proud to be an investor.

During the chat we discussed the ins and outs of Tovala - including the in-depth shipping process that’s required to efficiently and safely deliver ready to cook food, how David came to start Tovala and much more. Enjoy.

Show Links:

Follow us on Twitter: @tovalafood / @mpd
Guest Links: Tovala website
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Blitzscale or Die: A How to Guide For Startups & Founders with Chris Yeh of Blitzscaling Ventures

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 00:15:00 -0400

Chris Yeh is the General Partner of Blitzscaling Ventures and author of the book Blitzscaling.

Chris co-wrote the book with his good friend Reid Hoffman (who - as many of you probably know - is the founder of LinkedIn). The book explains when and how to focus on scaling rapidly to beat the competition in a winner-take-all market. The nuance is the concept of prioritizing speed over efficiency in an environment of uncertainty.

Blitzscaling is certainly a popular strategy in today’s startup world where everything is moving a million miles a minute, but - as you’ll hear us discuss - it’s not necessarily the right move for everyone. Chris and I talked about some exceptions, including a few companies I’ve personally seen play the long game of organic growth and outlast their competition.

In addition to the book, we chatted about the VC fund Chris started called Blizcaling Ventures - where he leverages the blitzscaling concept to inform his investment strategy.

Chris also shared some awesome life hacks, a hilarious story from the early days of the internet and a pretty awesome personal story about the time he competed on - and won - a game show. Enjoy and thanks for listening.

Show Links

Follow us on Twitter: @chrisyeh, @mpd
Guest Links: Blitzscaling (the book), Blitzscaling Ventures, Unreasonable Group
Article Links: Tim O’Reilly - Why it’s too early to get excited about Web3
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Helping Homeowners Access Trapped Home Equity with Jarred Kessler of EasyKnock

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 00:15:00 -0400

Jarred Kessler is the Founder & CEO of EasyKnock. EasyKnock is a PropTech platform that offers a way for people to access the capital that’s locked in the value of their homes through sale leasebacks. This is a big issue for folks that don’t have great credit scores because that usually means they can’t get access to mortgages.

Historically, reverse mortgage products have had a bad rap, but EasyKnock is doing its part to right the ship. They do everything they can to help people avoid eviction.

Though they’re building a business, they’re on a bit of a moral crusade and Interplay is proud to be an investor.

In tandem with EasyKnock, Jarred has also helped start a non-profit organization called The Stay Mission, which helps Americans fight evictions and foreclosures.

During our chat we discussed how EasyKnock works and the various products they offer, Jarred’s path from Wall Street to entrepreneurship, the challenges in the overall housing market in America (including whether Fannie and Freddie are doing their job) and much more. Enjoy.

Show Links

Follow us on Twitter: @EasyKnock, @JarredKessler, @mpd
Guest Links: EasyKnock, The Stay Mission
Book Links: Death of a Real Estate Salesman by Jarred Kessler, Evicted by Matthew Desmond, The Third Door by Alex Banayan
Movie Links: The Big Short

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

The Ultimate Personalized Journey For Customers with Vivek Sharma of Movable Ink

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 00:15:00 -0400

Vivek Sharma is the Co-Founder and CEO of Movable Ink. Movable Ink has created a marketing solution that helps brands work data into personalized content. Basically, they help businesses leverage their data to help customize content and marketing messages. And it works. Companies who switch from a one-size-fits-all-marketing model to customization tend to see large increases in engagement.

Vivek started his career as an engineer & sales, making him a double threat as a startup founder.

During our chat we discussed the ins and outs of Movable Ink, some important lessons Vivek has learned while growing the company and rapidly increasing headcount, overcoming unpredictable obstacles, his perspective on capitalizing a startup and much more.

Show Links

Follow us on Twitter: @movableink, @mpd
Guest Links: Movable Ink
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Winter Break Announcement

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 00:15:00 -0400

Hey everyone, I just wanted to share an update with you.

First and foremost, a big thanks to all of you for joining me on this journey. It's been a blast and I can't wait to continue to this wild ride in 2022.

Second, this podcast is meant to be an educational experience for everyone involved. I know I've learned a lot and I hope you have too. If there’s a particular topic you’d like to learn about or guest speaker you’d be interested in hearing, please let me know. Best way to contact me is on Twitter @MPD.

Third, we're taking a break for next month or so. New episodes will come in mid-January.

Until then, I wish everyone a happy, healthy and safe end of the year.

See you in '22!

Emotional Learning Products for Kids… and Their Parents with the Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Slumberkins

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 00:15:00 -0400

For this week’s episode, I chatted with Kelly Oriard & Callie Christensen, the Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Slumberkins.

Slumbkerins is a pre-school brand aiming to support families in the emotional wellness development of their children with educational products. Through carefully crafted characters and stories they’ve packaged psychological techniques up to make it easy for parents to help teach their kids about emotions. If you visit their website you’ll see that one way they sort the products is by theme: creativity, family change, mindfulness, self-esteem.

Before Slumberkins, Kelly was a school therapist and Callie was a teacher, so they have the background to start this kind of company. Kelly and Callie become moms at the same time, and during their maternity leave they became unexpecting entrepreneurs.

Kelly and Callie are rockstars, so it’s no surprise that Slumberkins off to the races. Interplay is an investor and we’re so excited and proud to be a part of their journey.

During the interview, we discussed the story behind Slumberkins, why teaching kids about emotions is important, the history of parentings and how strategies have changed over time, what they’ve learned about entrepreneurship, and much more. Enjoy.

Show Links

Follow us on Twitter: @slumberkins, @mpd
Guest Links: Slumberkins
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Reimagining The Furniture Industry with Stephen Kuhl of Burrow

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 00:15:00 -0400

Stephen Kuhl is the Co-Founder and CEO of Burrow, a furniture company for the modern age that delivers the most convenient customer experience in the industry.

They started out by making beautiful modular couches that come in easy to carry boxes that more or less snap together without tools. They have since expanded their product line to carry all types of more intelligent furniture. You can basically buy your entire living room on their website. It’s an awesome company and Interplay is a proud investor.

Stephen shared a ton of great insights into the world of manufacturing, which includes some crazy stories from the early days of Burrow.

If you’re building a DTC business or a company that relies on manufacturing this is worth a listen.

Show Links

Follow us on Twitter: @hiburrow, @mpd
Guest Links: Burrow
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Helping Renters Get Into Homes with Michael Rudoy of Jetty

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 00:15:00 -0400

Mike Rudoy is the Co-Founder and CEO of Jetty, a financial services platform that helps make renting a home more affordable and flexible.

Jetty offers three products to help renters get into homes:

Jetty Deposit - security deposit replacement

Jetty Rent - rent payment program

Jetty Protect - renters insurance

Not only does Jetty help renters, the services makes managing properties easier too. It's a win win situation and example of a successful business model that places the product in the middle of a sales chain.

During the interview, we discussed the business model behind Jetty, Mike's entrepreneurial journey, the general state of housing in America and much more.

Show Links

Follow us on Twitter: @mrudoy, @mpd
Guest Links: Jetty

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Debt Financing & Venture Capital: An Unlikely Synergy with Ali Hamed of CoVenture

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 00:15:00 -0400

Ali Hamed is a Partner at CoVenture Holding Company LLC. Since his college days he’s been building an impressive network and unsurprisingly has built an impressive business.

What’s unique about CoVenture’s model is that they’ve found an interesting synergy between debt financing and venture capital. In addition to making venture investments, Ali and his team provide balance sheet capital to innovative companies that are financing new asset classes. As CoVenture puts it: “CoVenture partners with founders who are inventing new asset classes, identifying new economies, or who require alternative types of capital to grow -- and backs them with venture capital and/or debt financing.”

If you’re interested in the business models of venture capital, debt or general finance I think you’ll find this conversation to be educational. I certainly did.

Show Links

Follow us on Twitter: @AliBHamed / @coventurevc / @mpd
Guest Links: CoVenture Holding Company LLC, Crossbeam Venture Partners
Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

How do we teach 2B children? Democratizing Access to Tutors With AI | Nhon Ma of Numerade

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 00:15:00 -0400

Nhon Ma is the CEO and Co-Founder of Numerade, a Los Angeles based EdTech platform that’s using AI and short form videos to democratize access to tutoring for kids around the world. What is brilliant about their idea is that they are bringing supplemental learning to students who can’t afford traditional private tutoring.

Nhon is an ex-Googler so he’s a tech-savvy founder who just knows how to run a business.

During the chat, Nhon shared his extremely inspiring personal journey and if you follow the thread of his story it seems as though he was destined to start this company. We discussed the intricacies of Numerade, how learning varies by states and countries, how education is evolving in the US and so much more.

Show Links

Guest Links: Numerade

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Killing Debt With Tech To Save Americans w/ Jason Saltzman of Relief

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 00:15:00 -0400

Jason Saltzman is the Co-Founder of Relief and a well known member of the New York start-up community. Relief is an app that helps people navigate the craziness when dealing with debt. According to Jason, Relief is here to kill your debt.

The statistics about debt in America are staggering:

Average amount of debt = $6k/person
Average number of credit cards = 8 credit cards/person
1 out of 3 people are behind on credit card payments

Beyond Relief, Jason is one of the best community builders out there. Rolling Stone actually called him a “cruise director,” a hilarious and accurate phrase if you know Jason.

He is also very much on top of his social media game, especially TikTok, which he believes that all businesses should be active on.

During the chat we discussed a lot about the intricacies regarding debt in America, building communities and winning strategies for creators on TikTok.

Show Links

Guest Links: Relief, Alley

Books Mentioned: Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Operator Turned VC: How Eniac Ventures Acts Like A Startup Player-Coach w/ Nihal Mehta, Co-Founder of Eniac Ventures

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 00:15:00 -0400

Nihal Mehta is the Co-Founder of Eniac Ventures, a successful seed venture firm that has invested in unicorns like AirBnb and Boxed. Nihal has been a serial founder and an active investor for over a decade.

The only way to know what a founder is REALLY going through is by being a founder yourself. IMHO, VCs who have operator experience have a great competitive advantage.

Nihal is one of the best startup player-coaches out there so it was a blast discussing how his founder experience has influenced his VC strategy.

During the chat, we also talk about some of Nihal's other endeavors, one of which is the India Internet Group (IIG). IIG is a fund based out of India so we talk about the startup and VC scene there.

He also started The 100K Pledge, a website that holds people and companies accountable when they make public pledges to help fight injustice. The site keeps tabs on what they're actually doing to help the cause.

As you can tell, we cover a lot during the chat. Big thanks to Nihal for joining me on the pod to catch up and share his thoughts on everything.

Show Links

Guest Links: Eniac Ventures, The 100k Pledge, HelpMainStreet.com

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

What WeWork Taught Us & The PR Playbook w/ Maureen Farrell of The New York Times and The Cult of We

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 00:15:00 -0400

For this week’s episode I chatted with Maureen Farrell, a New York Times reporter and the co-author of The Cult of We. The Cult of We is about the rise and fall of WeWork, which Maureen covered extensively while she was working at the Wall Street Journal. She is such an expert on the topic that she was featured in the Hulu documentary WeWork: Or The Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn.

Maureen is a veteran tech journalist. She graduated from Duke, got a masters from Columbia’s journalism school, and has spent more than 15 years working for publications like Forbes, CNN, the Wall Street Journal and now the New York Times.

In this conversation today, we extract some business insights from the WeWork saga, things entrepreneurs can learn - both the good and bad.

I also took this opportunity to get her raw advice on how entrepreneurs should maintain their media relationships, and Maureen was kind enough to give us a bit of a playbook.

Guest Links: The Cult of We, Maureen’s articles from The Wall Street Journal, Hulu doc about WeWork

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

The Next VC Frontier & Inside Silicon Valley w/ Sam Lessin, GP at Slow Ventures & Co-Founder of Fin

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 00:15:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I chatted with Sam Lessin, Co-Founder of Fin and General Partner at Slow Ventures.

Sam is, in the truest sense, a Silicon Valley insider. He’s a part of the Harvard tech mafia, friends with Zuckerberg and has built a few different tech startups.

Beyond all of that, he is an extremely deep and abstract thinker. I’ve always been a fan of listening to and learning from him.

During our chat we discussed how he sees the VC model changing (he has some strong opinions on this which are great), the evolution of media and its business models, the differences between US and China government strategies towards tech and a whole lot more. Enjoy.

Guest Links: Slow Ventures, Fin, The Information, Book: The Invention of News

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

US-China: Tech, Politics and Avoiding War w/ Zheng Huang of Committee of 100

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 00:15:00 -0400

Zheng Huang is the President of the Committee of 100. Committee of 100 is a non-profit U.S. leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, healthcare, and the arts focused on public policy engagement, civic engagement, and philanthropy.

Z is incredibly smart and during our chat we cover a lot.

We talk about what the Committee of 100 is and why it was created (which includes a bit of history on the Chinese-American experience in the US), the different approaches of the US and China when it comes to tech and free speech, and how the two countries can avoid war (which history shows normally happens during the a transition of economic power).

This is a FASCINATING conversation. I thoroughly enjoyed and hope you do too.

Guest Links: Committee of 100

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

VC Lessons From A VC Founder and Professor at Columbia Business School | Angela Lee of 37 Angels

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 00:15:00 -0400

For this week’s episode I chatted with Angela Lee, Founder of 37 Angels, an investment network that activates female investors through an educational bootcamp. She is also a professor at the Columbia Business School where she focuses on teaching about venture capital.

Angela is great at sharing her knowledge about the world. She has a very structured way of communicating her wonderful insights. During our chat she shared some of her favorite lessons she teaches at CBS and useful business strategies everyone should keep in mind, like how to ask for help the best way. We also talked about the gender gap in angel investing and venture capital, an issue that Angela and 37 Angels is doing amazing work to help with. I always love catching up with Angela and I hope you enjoy the conversation.

Show Links

Guest Links: @37AngelsNY / @Columbia_Biz / Give and Take by Adam Grant

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

New Orleans: A Blossoming Tech & Innovation Hub w/ Hal Callais of Callais Capital

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 00:15:00 -0400

For this week’s episode I chatted with Hal Callais, Managing Partner and CIO of Callais Capital. Callais Capital is a southern Louisiana based alternative asset management firm that invests in tech companies in the South and Mississippi River Delta region.

Hal is from a multi-generational family of entrepreneurs in Louisiana. He is very connected to the geography of the region and has been playing a crucial role in New Orleans’ blossoming startup and innovation scene.

I thought this was a really interesting conversation, a way to see into a nascent ecosystem and get a sense of what it is like in the earlier days of an entrepreneurial boom. We talk about everything from tech and innovation in New Orleans to the evolution of this ecosystem post Hurricane Katrina. Enjoy.

Show Links

Guest Links: Callais Capital

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

How New York State Is Becoming the CleanTech Capital with John Lochner of New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 00:15:00 -0400

On this week's episode I sit down with John Lochner, the Vice President of Innovation at New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

NYSERDA was established in 1975 to support clean energy and protect the environment. They're the government entity in the state of New York that is taking the lead to help drive innovation in the CleanTech ecosystem. Not only are they helping NY meet climate goals, they're also essentially writing the playbook for how governments can drive drive the initiatives and investments needed to combat climate change. What they're doing is incredible.

This is a wildly interesting and important topic. I hope you enjoy learning about it as much as I did.

Show Links

Guest Links: NYSERDA, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

The Playbook for Starting A Food Company w/ Mike Tarullo of Banza

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 00:00:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I sit down with Mike Tarullo, COO of Banza. Banza makes pasta, pizza, and macaroni and cheese from chickpeas. You’ve probably seen their products at your local grocery store with their signature orange packaging. They’ve raised about $30 million and have products in 18,000 stores nationally.

Before Banza, Mike helped run Venture for America, the non-profit company Andrew Yang started.

As you will hear during the chat, Mike is clearly an expert on food start-ups and we dive deep into some of the intricacies of what it takes to build them.

We get into the nitty-gritty of how the food industry operates, useful strategies that young companies might want to keep in mind, why raising mega rounds might not always be the best strategy, and the importance of conducting research (and actually following what the data tells you!). Enjoy.

Guest Links: Banza, Venture for America, Oath Pizza

Food Documentaries: What the Health, Fed Up

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Summer Break Announcement!

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 00:00:00 -0400

As you can tell from the title, this isn’t a normal episode.

I just wanted to give a couple of quick updates.

1) THANK YOU for listening and supporting the pod. It's crazy to think that we’re 27 episodes in!! I very much appreciate you joining me on this journey.

2) We’re taking a summer break and just wanted to let you know so you didn’t think we were bailing on you! We’re going to take the rest of July and the month of August to record a bunch of episodes and plan for the future, but maybe most important of all… to CHILL a bit. Life is too short to not enjoy.

We’ll continue to broadcast the live recordings on Twitter Spaces so if you want to tune in give me a follow on Twitter @ MPD.

New episodes will come late August / early September.

3) I’d love to hear from you about... anything! Topic suggestions, thoughts on the podcast structure, general VC questions, or whatever else is on your mind. Please feel free to reach out to me on socials.

Once again, thanks so much for listening.

Have a GREAT summer.

I’ll see you on the other side.

Meet My Mentor: Lessons From Veteran Venture Capitalist & Entrepreneur Jed Katz of Javelin VP

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 00:00:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I chat with Jed Katz, Managing Director at Javelin Venture Partners. Javelin is a premier VC firm that has invested in a ton of successful companies including a bunch of unicorns like Master Class and Thumbtack.

Now, this episode is a bit special for me because Jed gave me my first break into VC back in 2006. He’s been a long time friend and mentor, so much so that I thanked him for all that he has done for me in the opening of my book.

Though Jed might not like it, he’s a vetern venture capitalist and entrepreneur. Before helping to start Javelin over 12 years ago, he was a successful entrepreneur that navigated the craziness of the dot com boom and bust era, eventually landing a $1 billion acquisition of his venture Move.com

During our chat we discussed how Javelin operates, the current state of the VC world, the political implications of social media, important lessons he’s learned from both the VC and entrepreneur perspective and much more. Enjoy.

Show Notes: Javelin Venture Partners

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

How to Profit from NFTs & Redefining Professional Networking w/ Alex Taub, Co-Founder & CEO of Upstream

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 00:00:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I chat with Alex Taub. Alex is the Co-Founder & CEO of Upstream, a digital platform that is redefining professional networking.

Over the years I’ve watched many community platforms fail. I don’t know the exact stats, but the success rate is low. I think one of the reasons why a community platform is so hard to build is that it requires so many features to deliver sufficient value.

Upstream seems to have broken through by rapidly iterating on features and keeping the overall product lean. They delivered a complete product fairly quickly and the platform appears to be scaling.

In addition to running Upstream, Alex manages one of the communities on the platform: NFT Community.

We get into a general overview of what NFTs are, plus chat about some of his favorite projects which include NBA Topshot and a digital horse racing game called Zed Run.

If you’re interested in understanding the NFT market and how to profit from it, have a listen.

Show Notes: Upstream, NFT Community, Zed Run, NBA Topshot, Epic Games vs Apple Court Hearing

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

What LPs Wish GPs Knew According To One Of The Best LPs In The Industry, Beezer Clarkson of Sapphire Partners

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 00:00:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I chat with Beezer Clarkson of Sapphire Partners. Sapphire Partners invests in early-stage venture capital funds and Beezer leads their investment team, focusing on both domestic and international funds.  

Beezer is a star and began her career in financial services over 20 years ago at Morgan Stanley in its global infrastructure group. Since, she has held various direct and indirect venture investment roles, as well as operational roles in software business development at Hewlett Packard. Prior to joining Sapphire in 2012, Beezer managed the day-to-day operations of the Draper Fisher Jurvetson Global Network, which then had $7 billion under management across 16 venture funds worldwide.  

In 2016, Beezer led the launch of OpenLP, an effort to aggregate and amplify insights across the entrepreneur-to-GP to LP venture ecosystem.

There’s a lot of helpful information in this conversation with some great tips for GPs to keep in mind when working with LPs. If anyone is interested in raising capital from institutional LPs, this is a worthwhile listen.

Show Notes: OpenLP, Sapphire Partners, Sapphire Ventures, Article - Fund Recycling

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Online Ordering Software for Restaurants w/ Noah Glass of Olo

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 00:00:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I sit down with Noah Glass, Founder and CEO of Olo. Olo isn’t a household name, but that’s by design. They are a white label solution that powers most of the restaurant apps you have on your phone. These apps streamline ordering and specialize in supporting takeout.

While I suspect that most people would correctly guess that the majority of the food ordered from restaurants is eaten off premise, I doubt that most folks would know that takeout is 13-times larger than delivery. Olo is supplying the software products to make that happen and have been on an upward trajectory for years. They just recently IPO'd this past March.

Noah is clearly brilliant. I went a bit off my prepared questions in order to do some deep dives with him about how he operates Olo.

He shares some incredibly valuable wisdom about how they use analytics to craft their products, how to leverage a product advisory council, navigating the IPO process, and much more.

Show Notes: Olo

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Tech-Enabling Children's Healthcare w/ Darius Monsef, Founder & CEO of Brave Care

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 00:00:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I chat with Darius Monsef, Founder and CEO of Brave Care.

Brave Care is creating a new, better healthcare system for kids by providing primary, urgent & remote care catered just for them, 365 days a year. By tech-enabling a system that’s been long overdue for an upgrade, Darius hopes to make Brave Care the premier children’s healthcare partner for parents.

Interplay is lucky enough to be an early investor in the company and we absolutely love their mission.

Darius is a serial entrepreneur with multiple successful exits. You might think that things get easier for entrepreneurs with each new company they start, but the journey is always an arduous one. Darius and I explore this topic (which includes a thoughtful and - IMO - very helpful discussion about wealth in the tech community), why he went through Ycombinator multiple times, the startup scene in Portland, and much more.

It was a great conversation. I hope you enjoy it.

Show Notes: Brave Care, Darius’ Non-Profits: Hands.org, Nalukai Foundation

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Digitizing the Lottery: How to Partner With The Government w/ Peter Sullivan, CEO of Jackpocket

Thu, 10 Jun 2021 00:00:00 -0400

On today’s episode I sit down with Peter Sullivan, the Founder and CEO of Jackpocket. Jackpocket is digitizing the lottery - allowing everyone to play the lottery from their phone.

Peter shares his epic entrepreneurial tale that I think will one day become startup folklore. He persevered through an extremely long development cycle - during which he put it all on the line - only to emerge with a company that is going to be a unicorn.

I am an investor in Jackpocket so I’ve had the opportunity to watch this journey first hand. I think this is going to be one for the ages.

The lottery industry is GIGANTIC and states heavily rely on the revenue generated from lottery ticket sales. Roughly 30-40% of every lottery ticket sold goes to state programs, such as education, job creation, veteran care, and outdoor recreation and preservation.

As you might suspect, this means dealing with a TON of governmental red tape, which is both a challenge and a great way to create a competitive barrier.

During our chat, Peter shares mind blowing stats about the lottery, teaches us how to think about partnering with governments, details his crazy entrepreneurial journey and much more.

Show Notes: Jackpocket, Jackpocket Commercial

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

VC School Is In Session! Valuable VC lessons from a Harvard Business School professor Jeff Bussgang

Thu, 03 Jun 2021 00:00:00 -0400

On today’s show I chat with Jeff Bussgang, Co-Founder and General Partner of Flybridge Capital Partners, a Boston based VC fund with 700M under management.

As you know from previous episodes, I’ve been interviewing different VCs on the show with the goal to highlight different geographies. Jeff’s on to represent Boston.

Along with being a VC, Jeff is the author of “Mastering The VC Game” and a professor at Harvard Business School, which has helped him become a true expert on VC. He’s also a bit of a mentor to the current generation of VCs. A lot of people in the industry look to him for guidance, so I’m honored to have him on the show.

As if Jeff already doesn’t do enough, he also actively invests in Harvard grads through a vehicle called the Graduate Syndicate and is a Co-Founder of Hack Diversity - a non-profit focused on helping Black and Latinx/e/a/o technologists find their way into tech companies.

During the chat we talk about how Flybridge Capital operates, what’s going on in the Boston VC game, some of his favorite lessons that he teaches in class, and much more.

Show Notes:

Flybridge Capital

Graduate Syndicate

Hack.Diversity

Jeff’s Book - Mastering the VC Game

Podcast Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

The Real Estate Tech Revolution with David S. Rose, Founder & CEO of US Real Estate Market

Wed, 26 May 2021 23:45:00 -0400

On this week’s episode I have a great conversation with David S. Rose, a serial entrepreneur who’s current venture is US Real Estate Market, also known as USREM. US Real Estate Market is a startup developing a capital markets platform for fractional institutional investment in commercial real estate.

David's path to this current venture has been a lifelong journey. He comes from one of the generational NY real estate families and has dedicated a significant portion of his life to modernizing and tech-enabling the industry. As you’ll hear him explain, he was amongst the early pioneers of proptech, which included using spreadsheets for real estate projects when a friend invented the spreadsheet!

David shares some fascinating insights to the history of NY real estate and why the real estate industry in general has been slow to adopt tech.

We also discuss Singularity University and Andrew Yang’s run for NYC Mayor. There’s a pattern here in that both groups are highly forward thinking. The thesis around Singularity University is that tech is advancing at an exponential pace - which is even faster than what people think. He talks about their theories and the potential impact on society. David is a supporter of Andrew Yang and he makes his case for Andrew’s candidacy.

David is brilliant. His insights are unique and opinions well thought out. We cover a lot in this chat, and I think it’s an entertaining one. Enjoy.

Show Notes:

US Real Estate Market

David’s Ted Talk

Podcast Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Building A $30B AUM Unicorn with Jon Stein, Founder of Betterment

Wed, 19 May 2021 23:45:00 -0400

On today’s show I chat with Jon Stein, the Founder and Chairman of Betterment. Betterment is an investing platform that helps people manage their money. Jon and I met at Columbia Business School way back in 2007, which is when he first told me about his idea for Betterment. I didn’t get it at the time, but Jon had a vision.

After navigating the murky waters of a HIGHLY regulated sector, Jon launched Betterment in 2010, which was revolutionary at the time for being the first no-fee trading platform. Now they have $30b in AUM serving 600,000 customers. It’s officially a unicorn.

After 13 years at the helm, Jon recently stepped down from being CEO and is now the Chairman of the Board. Here in the States it’s become strangely taboo for a CEO to step down, while in other countries it’s an obvious sign of growth and development. I view Jon’s move as a promotion. During our chat Jon was very candid about the transition which I think will be helpful to a lot of other founders.

We also discuss Betterment’s founding story, how to navigate regulatory challenges as an entrepreneur, and much more.

Show Notes: Betterment, Howard Marks Memos

Podcast Links: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

The Midwest Startup Boom w/ Nick Moran of New Stack of Ventures

Wed, 12 May 2021 23:45:00 -0400

On today’s episode I catch up with Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures. New Stack is a VC firm based out of Chicago, IL that focuses on early seed stage investing. With a strong focus on investing in their own backyard, Nick and New Stack are on pace to build a brand name VC between the coasts that represents the Midwest on the national stage. It was great to hear about how things are going and what they have planned for the future.

Along with being a big time VC, Nick is also a veteran podcaster. He hosts a podcast called The Full Ratchet where he interviews fellow venture capitalists and investor experts. It’s a great pod and I highly recommend checking it out. He was kind enough to have me on the show back in 2015. If you’d like to listen to those episodes, I’ve included links in the show notes below.

During today’s chat you’ll hear some pretty honest, real talk about the world of venture capital and how it functions, what’s broken, and where it’s going.

Enjoy.

Guest Links:

Twitter - Nick, The Full Ratchet (Nick’s podcast), New Stack Ventures

Here’s a link to The Full Ratchet episodes with Mark as the guest: Part 1, Part 2

Podcast Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

You Should Start Your Company In Atlanta | A convo with David Cummings of the Atlanta Tech Village, one of the country's largest innovation hubs

Thu, 06 May 2021 07:00:00 -0400

On today’s episode I catch up with David Cummings, an entrepreneur on a mission to put Atlanta on the map when it comes to tech and venture capital. He also happens to be an old friend of mine.

David and I met during our undergraduate days at Duke where we were two of only a few entrepreneurs on campus. My endeavors fizzled out while David’s became massively successful. He sold one of them - Pardot - to Salesforce for $95m and another - Hannon Hill - is still active and continuing to scale.

David’s current focus and passion is the Atlanta Tech Village, an innovation hub he’s created in a building located in the heart of Atlanta. As he puts it, by creating an ecosystem for startups and entrepreneurs he’s “engineering serendipity” with the goal to make sure Atlanta is reaching its full entrepreneurial potential. Out of it has come many successful companies, including Calendy of which David is an investor/board member.

During our chat David breaks down how the Atlanta Tech Village operates, the VC fund he invests out of, and why companies should HEAVILY consider getting their start in Atlanta.

Guest Links:

Twitter - David, Twitter - Atlanta Tech Village

Podcast Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Techstars: Behind the Scenes of their Global Venture Capital Operation with Founder & Chairman David Cohen

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 23:45:00 -0400

David Cohen is the Founder and Chairman of Techstars, one of the largest venture capital operations in the world. Since 2006 they’ve been on a mission to help entrepreneurs succeed and have invested in over 2,400 companies.

What began in Boulder, CO is now a global network of entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, and cities. You know innovation isn’t far behind when Techstars comes to town!

During our convo we discuss the inner workings of Techstars, tips for entrepreneurs on how to get admitted into their programs, and the most valuable entrepreneurial lessons David has learned along the way.

@davidcohen / @techstars / @mpd

Guest Links:

Twitter - David, Twitter - Techstars

Podcast Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

The Future of Healthcare: In-Home Medicine w/ Zeel Founder & CEO Samer Hamadeh

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 23:45:00 -0400

Samer Hamadeh is the Founder and CEO of Zeel. Zeel started by providing in-home massage therapy, but looks a bit different these days. As you might suspect, the pandemic crushed their business and overnight their revenue went to zero. But in a time of crisis Zeel was able to leverage the logistics network they had built over the years to start offering in-home COVID testing. They’ve now expanded their services to include in-home medical services and have positioned themselves to be a pioneer in the nascent in-home-medicine market.

During our conversation we discuss the growth potential for the in-home healthcare industry that is quickly taking shape, the difficulties of a logistics based company, how companies can navigate crises, and much more.

@samerham / @getzeel

@mpd

Show Notes:

Book - The Goal

Guest Links:

Twitter - Samer, Twitter - Zeel

Podcast Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Innovation in Los Angeles & Using Social Media as a Business Professional w/ Upfront Ventures Managing Partner Mark Suster

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 23:45:00 -0400

As the Managing Partner of Upfront Ventures, Mark Suster has helped Los Angeles, where he and Upfront are based, reach the national stage when it comes to venture capital. The landscape was totally different 20 years ago and Mark/Upfront is a big reason why.

After two successful exits as a founder, Mark joined Upfront in 2007. Since then Mark has become one of VCs most prominent venture capitalists. The main reason being his savvy business decisions, but he’s also always been ahead of the game when it comes to social media.

Between his blog (www.bothsidesofthetable.com) and Twitter, he has always made his presence known by sharing fantastic insights into the world of venture capital.

During today’s chat we discuss what has changed in venture over the last decade and where it’s moving forward, Mark’s take on how VCs should think about branding and social media, and how to balance politics and business.

@msuster / @Upfrontvc

@mpd

Guest Links:

Twitter - Mark, Twitter - Upfront, Mark’s Blog,

Podcast Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

The Empathic VC: Supporting Founders & Giving Startups Time To Develop w/ Josh Stein of Threshold

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 23:45:00 -0400

VCs invest in startups and founders, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they always provide the support and patience that the founders need. On this week’s episode I chat with Josh Stein - Managing Partner of Threshold Ventures - about Threshold’s emphasis on how they champion their founders by supplying them with that support and giving them time to develop.

Josh is acutely aware of this need in VC because he was a founder himself before becoming a VC, so his experience has helped shape this empathic perspective!

During our chat we cover a lot… we discuss the impact of covid on operations, global fund strategies, pros/cons of blending growth & early-stage funds, dynasty funds, and advice for up & coming VCs. Enjoy!

@JoshSteinVC / @thresholdvc

@mpd

Guest Links:

Twitter - Josh, Twitter - Threshold, Website - Threshold

Podcast Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

This is how to win in venture capital with Greycroft Co-Founder & Partner Ian Sigalow

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 23:45:00 -0400

Ian Sigalow is the Co-Founder and Partner of Greycroft, one of the biggest and most successful VCs out there. Over their 14 year history they've invested in a long list of success stories such as Public, Acorns, Goop, Bird, and many more.

On this week’s episode Ian and I discuss the strategies Greycroft has followed in order to grow into a firm that manages more than $2 billion. We chat about how they evaluate talent, sectors, and global trends as well as specific do’s and don’ts for the world of venture capital. Ian is wildly smart and very candid so I hope you find the convo to be helpful and informative. Enjoy!

@sigalow / @GreycroftVC

@mpd

Guest Links:

Twitter - Ian, Twitter - Greycroft, Greycroft

Podcast Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

How VCs Get Money: The Capital Behind Venture Capital

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 23:45:00 -0400

Limited Partners are a critical part of the venture capital ecosystem. They provide capital to VCs who in turn invest that money in companies, so the LP perspective is important to consider when trying to fully understand how VCs operate.

Graham Pingree is a Partner at Cendana Capital, one of the preeminent LPs in the tech community.

Graham and I discuss the role of LPs in venture capital, strategies that Cendana Capital keeps in mind when making investments, and his take on the global startup scene.

@gpingree / @CendanaCapital

@mpd

Guest Links:

Twitter, Cendana Capital

Podcast Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Saving Earth by inventing new materials with Andras Forgacs, Co-Founder & CEO of Modern Meadow

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 23:45:00 -0400

Modern Meadow is revolutionizing the materials industry by inventing brand new materials that can be used in our everyday lives.

Inventing new materials is exciting, but Modern Meadow's sustainable approach might just be the best part. By using nature's building blocks - proteins - to build these brand new materials, they hope to replace the the materials used in most of today's goods that are large contributors to global warming (ie leather derived from cows and plastic oriented synthetics derived from fossil fuels).

The potential is MASSIVE!

Andras and I discuss Modern Meadow's ZOA technology, how these new materials will hopefully help save our world, and how Andras ended up at this current venture.

@ModernMeadow / @atforgacs

@mpd

Guest Links:

Twitter, Modern Meadow

Podcast Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Legal Cannabis in America with Ryan G. Smith, Co-Founder & CEO of LeafLink

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 23:45:00 -0400

The full legalization of cannabis is approaching FAST and with it a multi-billion dollar industry looms.

Ryan G. Smith is a serial entrepreneur who’s current venture - LeafLink - is a B2B e-commerce platform servicing the cannabis industry.

Ryan, who at 30 years old has built/exited multiple successful startups and is a member of Forbes 30 Under 30, breaks down the current state of the cannabis industry.

We discuss how without federal support each state is essentially operating in its own bubble, when the federal government will legalize marijuana, and which sectors within the industry (retail, growers, brands, etc.) will have the most success.

@LeafLinkUS

@mpd

Guest Links:

Twitter, LeafLink

Podcast Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

The truth about wine with Philip James, Founder & CEO Penrose Hill / Firstleaf

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 23:45:00 -0400

Philip James is the Founder and CEO of Penrose Hill / Firstleaf, a wine club for the modern age that uses data science to match the perfect wine for each customer based on their personal preferences. They ship over 100k boxes of custom wine every month. The company is a behemoth.

This isn’t Philips first go around in the wine industry. Philip has been a dominant force in the space for the past 15 years. We chat about his previous endeavors and how that helped him get to where he is today.

Along with being one of the most successful wine entrepreneurs in the world, Philip is an adventurer. In 2003 he climbed Mt. Everest, which turned into a rescue mission when one of his climbing partners broke their leg and had to crawl down the mountain in order to survive.

Philip and I discuss how Firstleaf operates, the three tier alcohol system, what it means when a wine is “Estate Grown,” and his myriad of adventures that I would argue makes him a candidate for the most interesting person in the world.

Special thanks to Philip for joining the podcast.

@philipjkjames

@firstleafclub

@mpd

Show Notes:

Everest Story - Connan Harrod

Guest Links:

Twitter, Firstleaf

Podcast Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Teaching the world how to code with Codecademy Co-Founder & CEO Zach Sims

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 23:45:00 -0400

Zach Sims is the Co-Founder and CEO of Codecademy, an education company that empowers people to transform their personal and professional lives by helping them learn modern skills.

Zach started Codecademy 10 years ago when he was still an undergraduate student at Columbia University. As Codecademy gained momentum and took on investors, Zach decided to pursue it full time and left college. Now a decade later, Codecademy has helped over 45 million users in 179 countries learn new skills to gain a competitive advantage in our rapidly changing world.

Zach and I discuss his decision to leave college and pursue Codecademy full time, what coding languages are the most durable, and how education is changing.

Follow us on Twitter:

@zsims

@codecademy

@mpd

Show Notes/Links:

Documentary - Ivory Tower

Guest Links:

Codecademy

Show Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Why Israel innovates faster & the role of community with Yaron Samid serial entrepreneur & Founder of TechAviv

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 23:45:00 -0400

What is Israel doing to produce the most startups per capita, VC dollars spent per capita, and unicorns per capita?

Yaron Samid is the Founder of TechAviv, a global Israeli startup founders club that's 3,000 members strong.

He is also the Managing Partner of TechAviv Founder Partners, a pre-seed venture fund backed and powered by some of the world’s most successful company builders.

Yaron was born in Israel, grew up and began his career in the US, and is now back in Israel where innovation and venture capital is booming.

We discuss what Israel has done and is doing to support its startup community, why community is crucial for innovation, and what other countries and communities can do to mimic Israel’s innovation success.

@yaronsamid

@techaviv

@founderpartners

@mpd

Show Notes:

Book Suggestions - Give and Take by Adam Grant, The Culture Map by Erin Meyer

Inside a Mega VC & University Entrepreneurship with Partner Peter Boyce II Partner at General Catalyst

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 23:45:00 -0400

Peter Boyce II is a Partner at General Catalyst, one of the preeminent venture capital firms out there. General Catalyst makes early-stage and transformational investments while backing exceptional entrepreneurs who are building innovative technology companies and market leading businesses. Investments include the likes of Airbnb, ClassPass, HubSpot, KAYAK, Oscar, Snap, Stripe, and Warby Parker.

Peter is also a Co-Founder of Rough Draft Ventures, an organization that helps university students in their journey from creating ‘rough drafts’ to startup companies by investing at the earliest stage.

Peter and I discuss the way his firm operates, why it’s important to give companies time to develop, and how universities can better assist their entrepreneurs.

@badboyboyce

@mpd

Guest Links:

Twitter, General Catalyst Website, Book Suggestion - The Rainforest

Show Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Host: Mark Peter Davis

Guest: Peter Boyce II

Tech-enabled parenting, marketing wizardry and activating communities with Lisa Barnett Co-Founder, President, and CMO of Little Spoon

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 23:45:00 -0400

Lisa Barnett is the Co-Founder, President, and CMO of Little Spoon, a fresh, direct-to-consumer baby food and early childhood nutrition company reinventing the modern parent’s experience of keeping their child happy and healthy.

Lisa and I discuss her journey (which has a unique twist as she left a coveted job in venture capital to start Little Spoon), the importance of identifying an enemy when honing the focus of a company, special marketing tactics that everyone should embrace, and what her ideal legislation would look like if she could implement sweeping government changes to the food industry.

What is your enemy? What problem are you trying to solve with your business?

Special thanks to Lisa for joining the podcast.

@LisaBarnett_11

@mpd

Guest Links:

Twitter, Little Spoon

Show Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Host: Mark Peter Davis

Guest: Lisa Barnett

Winning in the enterprise space & the future of work with Jeff Wald Founder of WorkMarket

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 23:45:00 -0400

Jeff Wald is the Founder of WorkMarket, an enterprise software platform that enables companies to efficiently and compliantly organize, manage and pay freelancers. Jeff built WorkMarket from the ground up and sold the company to ADP for $400million. Along the way he learned some incredibly valuable lessons, some of which came during the exit process.

Jeff shares his journey, what it’s like to take on investors as a company grows, his thoughts on the future of work and Universal Basic Income, and why retraining will be key to a successful economy.

What lessons have you learned along the way as you’ve started and grown your business?

@jeffreywald

@mpd

Show Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Guest Links:

Twitter, Jeff's Book

Host: Mark Peter Davis

Guest: Jeff Wald

The truth about the space industry with Max Haot CEO of Launcher

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 14:00:00 -0400

Max is the CEO of Launcher, a company that's developing the world’s most efficient rocket to deliver small satellites to orbit.

Max discusses his background (which includes an important role in the development of live streaming), the cost of sending satellites into orbit, what it's like working with the State Department, his take as to why space exploration is important, and important entrepreneurial/startup advice.

How would you use a satellite to help you grow your business or create a new one?

@maxhaot

@mpd

Guest Links:

Launcher

Host Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Guest: Max Haot

Host: Mark Peter Davis

Rebuilding the World Trade Center after 9/11, office space in a COVID shaped future, and the #1 investment to make in life with Tal Kerret of Silverstein Properties

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Tal Kerret is the President of Silverstein Properties, a real estate development and management firm based in New York City. Silverstein Properties owns and operates 40MM square feet of office space and residential properties including the World Trade Center, which they bought just six weeks prior to 9/11. Tal shares his unique perspective of what it's been like to rebuild One World Trade and help rejuvenate downtown New York City.

Before joining the family business of Silverstein Properties, Tal was a successful entrepreneur who was a part of the dot com boom in the early days of the internet. He used that experience and passion to start SilverTech Ventures, an accelerator, incubator, and venture capital firm. Tal tells us about SilverTech’s mission and a uniquely positioned company for the COVID era they’ve incubated called Dojo. By using their proprietary technology, Dojo allows companies to actually quantify the risk of contagion in their office space. It takes into account the airflow, the size of the space and other variables to give business owners a clear understanding of the risk in each room of an office.

How do you think the future of office space will look in this new COVID shaped era?

Guest Links:

Silverstein Properties, SilverTech Ventures, Dojo

Show Links:

Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Host: Mark Peter Davis

Guest: Tal Kerret

Innovation with Mark Peter Davis

Sat, 09 Jan 2021 01:45:00 -0400

I believe innovation is hope. We live in a world full of challenges. Innovation is how we solve problems and create the path forward. To me, innovation represents the best of mankind.

The mission of this podcast is to help entrepreneurs more efficiently innovate. I’m speaking with very successful entrepreneurs, investors, politicians and community organizers to share their stories and their views so that listeners can both better identify the best opportunities to add value and learn from their mistakes.

Enjoy.