Clock Speed with Shamus Madan

In this episode, Shamus Madan talks with Lara Hodgson about her journey from Harvard to NOW, highlighting her early ventures and the role of NOW during an economic recession. They discuss the 'great resignation's impact on entrepreneurship, the power of storytelling in business, and insights for small businesses during economic tension. The episode concludes with a discussion on the 'tailwind effe...

In this episode, Shamus Madan converses with Tim Draper about his journey into venture capitalism. They discuss Draper's successful investments, his advice for building networks for early VCs, and his approach to global economies. They also delve into sustaining reputation, problem-solving strategies, and their shared experiences investing in Tesla. Draper concludes with advice for budding VCs and...

In this episode, Shamus Madan interviews Ariel Camus, discussing his entrepreneurial journey and the creation of Torastai and Microverse. They delve into Microverse's unique business model and its impact on graduates' salaries. They also discuss the challenges of expanding Microverse's reach, the future job market, and the importance of passion in entrepreneurship.

In this episode, Shamus Madan speaks with Mark Cuban about his venture into the pharmaceutical industry with Cost Plus Drugs. They discuss startup strategies, challenges in building a manufacturing plant, and ways to increase consumer knowledge. The conversation also covers the role of personal branding, the potential of Gen Z, and the importance of lifelong learning in business.

In this episode, Shamus Madan converses with Molly Wood about her transition into tech and business journalism. They discuss the role of storytelling in journalism and entrepreneurship, and delve into the rise and future of the climate tech industry. They also explore financial tools for climate change solutions, measuring their impact, and the trade-offs involved.

In this episode, Shamus Madan chats with Paige Finn Doherty about her venture into venture capital and her plans for Behind Genius Ventures. They discuss the importance of cold emailing, the use of social media for content creation, and the impact of macroeconomics on early-stage markets. Paige also shares her advice for first-time fund managers and how COVID-19 affected VC strategies.

In this MBIT episode, Shamus Madan talks with Eric Bahn about his transition from law to Silicon Valley, and the inception of HUSL Fund. They delve into the definition of "hustle", the venture capital process, Bahn's five pillars for assessing deals, and the potential of MBIT becoming a VC fund. They also discuss the characteristics of potential IPO companies, the power of storytelling in entrepre...

In this episode, Shamus Madan chats with Jesse Randall about the challenges and limitations of traditional venture capital, introducing listeners to Sweater's unique investment process. They discuss the difficulties accredited investors face, the importance of marketing in the investment world, and trust and transparency in private market investing. The conversation also covers valuation methods,...

In this episode, Shamus Madan chats with Elad Schaffer, tracing his entrepreneurial journey from WikiStrat to Faye. They delve into the pros and cons of bootstrapping a startup, the philosophy of Faye, and its impact on the travel insurance sector. Further, they explore the underwriting process, the importance of travel insurance education, and the influence of historical events on the industry. T...

In this episode, Shamus Madan interviews Drew Bellcock about Pipe Dream's vision, operational challenges, and impact on urban congestion. They discuss the company's consumer interface, payment system, failure-proofing methods, and growth strategy. They also talk about the engineering principles guiding Pipe Dream's development.

In this episode, Shamus Madan chats with Landon Sanford, discussing his entrepreneurial journey and how he overcame failures. They delve into the workings of Compose AI and its future prospects, the transition to web 3 startups, and related fundraising challenges. They also explore strategies for raising capital during downturns, the importance of a lean model and survival mentality in startups, t...

In this episode, Shamus Madan converses with Dan Fishman about his career shift to venture capital and his focus on environmental impact businesses. They discuss portfolio support and investment strategy at Regeneration VC, the role of omnichannel for climate brands, and traits of successful founders. They also delve into Leonardo DiCaprio's involvement at Regeneration VC, the circular economy con...

In this episode, Shamus Madan converses with Spencer Rascoff about his journey with startups, crisis management lessons, and the inception of Zillow. They delve into Picasso's strategies for rapid market growth, the importance of founder product fit, and building a diverse team. They also discuss the future of PropTech, including innovations and the role of blockchain.

In this episode, Shamus Madan chats with Simon Grunfeld about the advantages of stablecoins, the recent crypto crash, and the comparison between investing in stocks and cryptocurrency. They dive into Simba, a new platform for NFTs, discuss the regulation challenges of cryptocurrencies, and the role of Coinbase in user protection. They explore the future of crypto and the potential of Web 3 and NFT...

In this episode, Shamus Madan chats with Zécca Lehn from Responsibly Ventures. They discuss the difference between climate and sustainability funds, Zécca's interest in macroeconomic policies, and the link between journalism and venture capital. They also talk about the transition from angel investing to starting a VC fund, the concept of failure rates, and the significance of discipline in fundra...

In this episode, Shamus Madan discusses the current market situation, the role of the Federal Reserve and inflation, and the potential for stagflation and economic slowdown. He also talks about maintaining financial security during economic instability, long-term investment strategies, financial planning for founders and entrepreneurs, and the impact on venture capital and startups.

In this episode, Shamus Madan talks with Kevin Zhang about his background and experience in venture capital and entrepreneurship. They discuss the evolution of the venture capital industry, its role in supporting entrepreneurs, and its importance in business success. They also explore the distribution of returns in venture capital firms, the state of the venture capital bubble, and provide advice...

In this episode, Shamus Madan chats with Josh Mohrer, discussing his journey from Uber to Levels. They delve into the creation of Uber Eats, Uber's competition strategy against Lyft, and the legal challenges faced by Uber. The conversation later shifts to Mohrer's transition to Levels, the importance of glucose monitoring, and the problems Levels aims to solve in the current health system.

In this episode, Shamus Madan interviews Zain Jaffer, discussing his background, advice for startup founders, insights on fundraising, and his transition into PropTech. They delve into the differences in real estate investment, the rise of PropTech, and the importance of financial management in startups.

In this episode, Shamus Madan talks with Katrin Kaurov and Aleksandra Medina about the creation and growth of Fridge, a finance app for Gen Z. They discuss user retention strategies, competition, building a community, raising capital, and the challenges in personal finance.

In this episode, Shamus Madan chats with Andrew Gazdecki about MicroAcquire's vision and current operations. They discuss the streamlined acquisition process, startup vetting, and the high demand for AI startups. They delve into valuing early-stage startups, the importance of bootstrapping, and the overemphasis on venture capital.

In this episode, Shamus Madan talks with Brian Feroldi about his journey into personal finance and investing, and his time at The Motley Fool. They discuss the impact of democratized investing, variances in global stock markets, and compare domestic vs. international investing. They also provide tips for millennials transitioning into personal finance and discuss ways to offset rising consumer pri...

In this episode, Shamus Madan talks with Josh Pigford about his new venture, Maybe. They discuss Pigford's background, the goals and business model of Maybe, and how it compares to competitors like Mint and Intuit. They also delve into the benefits of transparency in building Maybe and lessons learned from Pigford's previous business, Baremetrics.

In this episode, Shamus Madan talks with Zayd Ali, founder of Fish, a social network for entrepreneurs and investors. They discuss Zayd's journey into entrepreneurship, the launch and monetization strategy of Fish, and the importance of building relationships with venture capitalists. Zayd also shares his experience with balancing academics and startup life, and his time at Founders University and...

In this episode, Shamus Madan interviews marketing expert, Ryan Alford, discussing his background, the creation of RadCast, and the importance of curiosity in entrepreneurship. They delve into best practices for podcast growth, Instagram branding, and the potential impact of the metaverse on marketing. Ryan also shares the seven ageless truths in marketing and the importance of motivation in brand...