Innovation with Mark Peter Davis

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 emphasize...

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 change...

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 hea...

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...

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...

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 docu...

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...

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 per...

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 accur...

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...

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 per...

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 owne...

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 f...

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. Sin...

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

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 , @Mi...

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 crea...

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 te...

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...

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 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 star...

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 in...

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. L...

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 , You...

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 earn...