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

Each investor discusses sectors, drivers and/or trends that may have significant impact in the future and are potentially positioned for outsized-returns. Did you miss our guests full length episodes? For other great episodes, go to The Full Ratchet blog and catch up! Also, follow us on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/27155166/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/TFR_Pod). The host of The...

Victor Pascucci of Energy Capital Ventures joins Nick to discuss The Trillion $ Opportunity in Natural Gas, Building A Strategic LP-Base, and Creating a Strong LPAC. In this episode we cover: Give us an overview of the data and the opportunity within the natural gas sector for tech disruption.  What percentage of our energy consumption is natural gas based? Why focus on natural gas? Why is now the...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Maren Bannon Sach Chitnis Jonathan Hsu Glenn Rockman Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out. Did you miss our guests full length episodes? Maren Bannon Episode 268 Sach Chitnis Episode 269 Jonathan Hsu Episode 243 Glenn Rockman Episode 282 For ot...

Seth Levine & Elizabeth MacBride of The New Builders joins Nick to discuss The Decline of Entrepreneurship in America, Systemic Inequity in Supporting Small Businesses, and the "Capital vs. Labor" Debate. In this episode we cover: Why did you write the book? I'd actually like to start w/ Chapter 6, which is a history of entrepreneurship in the US… we can't really do it justice in the interview but...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Reid Christian David Goldberg McKeever "Mac" Conwell II Neil Sequeira Each investor discusses a portfolio company that did not survive and why it was that they failed. Did you miss our guests' full-length episodes? Reid Christian Episode 259 David Goldberg Episode 272 McKeever "Mac" Conwell II Episode 277 Neil Seque...

Emily Paxhia of Poseidon Asset Management joins Nick to discuss The $61B Cannabis Market, Overcoming Compliance and Regulation, and the Declining Social Stigma Around Cannabis. In this episode we cover: Can you give us an overview of the Cannabis Space -- size, growth, major sub-segments? Which segments are you most interested in? What areas do you not invest in and why? Raising a cannabis fund in...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Dayna Grayson & Rachel Holt Ali Tamaseb Jonathan Hung Vanessa Larco Each investor describes the most unusual situation or pitch that they've encountered as an investor. Did you miss our guest's full-length episodes? Dayna Grayson & Rachel Holt Episode 291 Ali Tamaseb Episode 289 Jonathan Hung Episode 292 Vanessa Lar...

Winter Mead of Oper8r joins Nick to discuss How to Raise a VC Fund, The YC for Emerging Managers, and Family Office Trends. In this episode we cover: Tell us a little more about Oper8or. Why did you leave Sapphire to start this program? Give us an overview of Oper8or? Walk us through the selection process and what you're looking for. Bring us up to speed on progress-to-date, how you measure succes...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Monique Woodard Spencer Maughan Paul Martino Ben Casnocha Each investor illustrates a critical lesson learned about startup investing and how it's changed their approach. Did you miss our guest's full length episodes? Monique Woodard Episode 273 Spencer Maughan Episode 284 Paul Martino Episode 275 Ben Casnocha Episo...

Ben Wiener of Jumpspeed Ventures joins Nick to discuss Investing in Jerusalem, Applying Helmer's 7 Powers to VC, and Writing a Business Murder Mystery. In this episode we cover: How difficult was it raising a fund to invest only in Jerusalem-originated startups? What do you say to critics who claim that "focusing only one one geo is too limiting?" Are there specific sectors or types of tech that a...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Stephen McIntyre Brian Luerssen Ty Findley Tsune Shirota Each investor discusses sectors, drivers and/or trends that may have significant impact in the future and are potentially positioned for outsized-returns. Did you miss our guests full length episodes? Stephen McIntyre Episode #244 Brian Luerssen Episode #290 T...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Check Warner Dayna Grayson & Rachel Holt Erik Torenberg Avichal Garg Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out. Did you miss our guests full length episodes? Check Warner Episode #242 Dayna Grayson & Rachel Holt Episode #291 Erik Torenberg Episode #...

Ash Fontana of Zetta Venture Partners joins Nick to discuss How to Value AI, Data Network Effects vs. Data Learning Effects, and Evolution of the VC Asset Class. In this episode we cover: What was the inspiration for the new book? What's the difference between a Data Network Effect and a DLE (data learning effect)? How do you advise those that are building tech where AI will be a valuable piece in...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Eric Collins Nicole Quinn Paul Martino Alfred Chuang Each investor discusses a portfolio company that did not survive and why it was that they failed. Did you miss our guests' full-length episodes? Eric Collins Episode #253 Nicole Quinn Episode #279 Paul Martino Episode #275 Alfred Chuang Episode #274 For other grea...

Brian Requarth of Latitud joins Nick to discuss Viva Latam Startups, Losing Talent to the U.S., and Building the Zillow of Brazil. In this episode we cover: What's the thesis at Latitud? Could you tell us a little about the company you started, Viva Real? What was your goal in writing the book... Viva the Entrepreneur? You get quite vulnerable w/ regard to your experience building Viva Real. What...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: David Goldberg Ben Sun Tsune Shirota Amy Nauiokas Each investor describes the most unusual situation or pitch that they've encountered as an investor. Did you miss our guest's full-length episodes? David Goldberg Episode #272 Ben Sun Episode #287 Tsune Shirota Episode #288 Amy Nauiokas Episode #286 For other great e...

Jonathan Hung of Unicorn Venture Partners joins Nick to discuss Why Sales Cycle Determines Success, the Challenges of International Deal Diligence, and Fractional Hiring in a Post COVID World. In this episode we cover: Jonathan's background and path to VC The launch of Unicorn Venture Partners The thesis at Unicorn Venture Partners Deal volume Unicorn Venture Partners is doing each year Jonathan's...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Brendan Wallace Tim Guleri Dharmesh Thakker Brian Hirsch Each investor illustrates a critical lesson learned about startup investing and how it's changed their approach. Did you miss our guest's full length episodes? Brendan Wallace Episode #276 Tim Guleri Episode #267 Dharmesh Thakker Episode #283 Brian Hirsch Epis...

Dayna Grayson & Rachel Holt of Construct Capital joins Nick to discuss Competing with Amazon, Combatting 60% Talent Attrition, and Driving Transformation of Foundational Industries. In this episode we cover: Can you each give us the two-minute background and path to VC? What is the thesis at Construct? How do you define series A?  Is there a geographic scope in which you'll invest? Why have you ch...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Nikhil Basu Trivedi Janet Bannister Sach Chitnis Guy Perelmuter Each investor discusses sectors, drivers and/or trends that may have significant impact in the future and are potentially positioned for outsized-returns. Did you miss our guests full length episodes? Nikhil Basu Trivedi Episode #246 Janet Bannister Epi...

Brian Luerssen of Long Jump joins Nick to discuss The Rise of Low-Code/No-Code, How Tech is Changing Developer Roles, and the Launch of Founder-Led Venture Funds. In this episode we cover: Walk us through your background and path to Draftbit. Tell us about the customer market and who you're targeting with Draftbit. Are there good comps or parallels in the non-mobile space? Will the user of Draftbi...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Ed Sim Lanham Napier McKeever "Mac" Conwell II Mike Smerklo Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out. Did you miss our guests' full-length episodes? Ed Sim Episode #266 Lanham Napier Episode #248 McKeever "Mac" Conwell II Episode #277 Mike Smerklo...

Ali Tamaseb of DCVC joins Nick to discuss Data on the Key Traits of Billion-Dollar Startups with the Author of Super Founders: What Data Reveals About Billion-Dollar Startups. In this episode we cover: Founders' history of building Second-time founders and their larger chance of being unicorns Super Founders bouncing to different industries isn't detrimental to their success Having domain experien...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Farooq Abbasi Ty Findley Lo Toney Monique Woodard Each investor discusses a portfolio company that did not survive and why it was that they failed. Did you miss our guests' full-length episodes? Farooq Abbasi Episode #251 Ty Findley Episode #250 Lo Toney Episode #249 Monique Woodard Episode #273 For other great epis...