The Startup Podcast

Raising capital in today's market is tough, but navigating these challenges with the right strategy can make all the difference. In this week's episode, Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad tackle: How you raise money in a volatile market? Why are female founders facing even steeper hurdles in securing funding? And how can AI reshape both startups and the future of education? In this episode, th...

Can the latest Trump-Musk interview, Tesla’s RoboTaxi delay, and VC backlash against the FTC trigger a shift in tech innovation? Join Chris Saad and Emil Michael former Chief Business Officer of Uber, in this week’s Reacts episode as they explore how these political developments might reshape the industry. Elon and Trump: Over a billion views—Is this interview a media game-changer for tech billion...

Can the executive shakeup at OpenAI and a historic antitrust ruling against Google reshape the future of AI and tech innovation? Dive into this week’s Reacts episode as Chris Saad and Amir Shevat explore these shifts and their ripple effects across the industry. Exodus at OpenAI: Unpacking the departures of top executives and their implications for AI development. Tech Market Volatility: Analyzing...

Could the launch of SearchGPT by OpenAI and Meta's AI Bots for creators redefine search engines and social media engagement? Discover how these advancements will reshape the tech landscape in this week's Reacts episode, packed with the latest AI updates. Join Ben Parr and Jeremiah Owyang as they discuss with Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein: OpenAI's SearchGPT: Implications for Google, P...

Are you shipping faster than you learn, or learning faster than you ship? Learn the risks of practicing "agile" theater and iterating your product without direction. On this week's episode, product legend John Cutler joins Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein to discuss: Why so many teams get Agile wrong Pros and cons of Agile vs. Waterfall The dangers of practicing Agile by the book vs. based on experi...

Could the rise of Kamala Harris as the new Democratic candidate impact the tech industry in significant ways?  Find out how her presidency, Crowdstrike's massive outage, and Sam Altman's UBI experiment could shape the future of your tech startup in this week's insightful Reacts episode. On this week's episode, Ben Parr and Emil Michael  former Chief Business Officer of Uber, join Chris Saad and Ya...

There's only one big topic in the headlines this week – the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. What will it mean for the future of tech? On this week's episode, Elli Hanson joins Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein to discuss: Knee Jerk Reactions: Immediate thoughts in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Bide 'n' Seek: What (if anything) Joe Biden and the D...

Angel investing is a high-risk, high-reward investment option. But is it right for your portfolio? In this episode, Chris and Yaniv discuss: Better Angels: What makes a good angel investor, and who should consider becoming one. A Slice of Heaven: The mechanisms behind direct angel investments, syndicates, and SPVs. Under Your Wing: The challenges and benefits that founders might encounter if they...

Could the rise of robotics lead to reduced immigration in Western countries? Learn about the latest events that will affect your tech startup in this week's politically charged Reacts episode. Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein discuss: Bubble Wrap: A recent article from Sequoia summarizes the risks of a potential AI investment bubble and its implications for startups and investors. (David Cahn/Se...

Impostor syndrome plagues many founders – but why? Founder and podcaster Mike Scott shares his own journey and the practical tools he's developed to overcome imposter syndrome. In this episode, Mike Scott (SMB Mastery, 'How to be Moderately Successful') joins Chris and Yaniv to discuss: Fool's Gold: Why impostor syndrome is common among founders, and why success often exacerbates i...

Who are the winners and losers from this week in AI? Learn how Perplexity, Google, Facebook, and the state of California are handling (or not handling) the latest developments in tech. In this week's episode, Amir Shevat and Emil Michael join Yaniv to discuss: License to Crawl: The ethics and practical implications of Perplexity AI ignoring the robots.txt protocol. Corpus Bride: How Google&#39...

What lies at the intersection of 'diversity' and 'meritocracy'? Learn how Silicon Valley insiders defy polarized pop narratives to build talented teams with diverse perspectives. In this week's episode, Amir Shevat joins Chris and Yaniv to discuss: Tipping the Scale: The seasonal 'meritocracy vs. diversity' debate returns to Silicon Valley. Scale AI CEO Alexander Wang s...

Is marketing more art than science? Should VC-backed startups push for profitability? Learn from Eucalyptus founder Tim Doyle as he tackles two highly debated topics in the startup world: Brand Loyal: In the generational battle between performance marketers and brand storytellers, Tim advocates for a resurgence in compelling brand narratives. Worshipping False Profits: Tim, Chris and Yaniv explain...

Are Amazon workers fighting the inevitable? Learn how founders, investors and industry leaders are responding to the big trends in AI. In this week's episode, Chris and Yaniv discuss: Amazon Warriors: The Amazon Labor Union have joined the Teamsters. But how will warehouse worker representation matter amidst rising automation and AI? A Common Thread: How does Meta's launch of the Threads A...

How do the best founders build exceptional teams? Learn how a practical approach to HR can transform the culture at your startup. In this episode, Patty McCord, former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix and author of 'Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility,' shares her wisdom on fostering a high-performance culture. Patty, Yaniv and Chris discuss: Finders Keepers: How the...

Do we dare to imagine: what if Siri was actually good? In this week's episode, tech insiders Elli Hanson and Amir Shevat join Chris and Yaniv to discuss: AI @ WWDC2024: Apple unveils 'Apple Intelligence,' Siri improvements, and updates to products like Apple Wallet and Vision OS. Saving Private Data: How will Apple's reputation for privacy clash with their new integration with Open...

What happens when your product has succeeded and you're finally ready to explore those adjacencies? Find out how to take your startup to the next level. In this episode, Tim Doyle, founder of brand engine Eucalyptus (and subsidiary healthcare brands Pilot, Kin, Software, Normal, and Juniper), joins Chris and Yaniv to discuss the process of expanding your business into new products, markets, an...

What's happened to B2B SaaS – and will NVIDIA eat OpenAI's lunch? Learn the latest movements in tech startups from industry insiders. In this week's episode, Chris, Emil and Yaniv discuss: B2B, Or Not To Be: Disappointing guidance from industry giants like Salesforce, Cloudflare and UiPath bodes poorly for the future of enterprise B2B SaaS businesses. Invader NIM: NVIDIA's move to...

Why do big, established companies struggle when faced with disruption from agile startups? In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein explain: Don't Look Up: How tech advancements, regulatory changes, and shifts in cultural norms create opportunities for smaller players. Stuck in the Mud: Why entrenched cultures, rigid business models, and incremental incentives make it tough for large co...

This is a Sponsor Showcase episode, sponsored by Vanta. Security and compliance are so important. But as a founder, sometimes they can seem like an expensive distraction. What if we told you there are ways to massively reduce the cost of building strong security in your product? And even better, to turn that investment into a selling point to help scale your business? In this episode of TSP, Yaniv...

Can NVIDIA keep their unprecedented run going? Learn what's driving their stunning earnings – and whether they're really on track to become the biggest company in the world. In this week's episode, Emil Michael former Chief Business Officer of Uber, and Yaniv Bernstein discuss: Betting with Chips: NVIDIA's remarkable earnings continue a run of historic, Wall Street-defying growth. Grok Solid: Elon...

Are you struggling to fund your startup? Learn how to make your idea investable – and avoid the fearsome 'zombie zone'. In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein discuss: Quarter Masters: Explore a simple four-quadrant model that categorizes startups based on their margin, volume, and startup costs. Plain Old Profits: Learn when and why to consider a more traditional business model o...

Two-time unicorn founder Jason Cohen (WP Engine, Smart Bear) returns to discuss his Twitter 'koans', exploring their implications for founders. In this bonus episode, Yaniv Bernstein, Chris Saad, and Jason Cohen discuss: Half-Baked Ideas: The pitfalls of working on too many projects (or cakes). Work/Work Balance: What even is a 'lifestyle business'? The Invisible Startup: Why found...

How can Google avoid Google+ 2.0? Learn who will win the AI Game of Thrones – and why branding is only one piece of the puzzle. In this week's episode, Amir Shevat and Yaniv Bernstein discuss: The Demo Dilemma: Why OpenAI’s live demo of ChatGPT-4o was more impressive than Google’s highly polished event. G Suite Dreams: How could Google improve the integration of AI throughout their many produc...

Are you planning your founder career in a meaningful way? Two-time unicorn founder Jason Cohen (WP Engine, Smart Bear) joins Chris and Yaniv to discuss how self-knowledge can lead to a founder journey that's right for you. Passion's Fruit: Understand the importance of aligning your startup with your driving interests. Top Model: Learn how to tailor your business model to fit your personal...