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

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Ryan Gembala Scott Dorsey Elizabeth Yin Jeff Fluhr Each investor discusses a portfolio company that did not survive and why it was that they failed. To listen more, please visit  http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/  for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter  @TheFullRatchet  for updates and more...

Gigi Levy-Weiss of NFX joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss What's Next in Gaming; The True Essence of Product-Market-Fit; & Investing with an Emphasis on Retention and Engagement. In this episode, we cover: Background and path to venture. The thesis and your focus at NFX? Did you invest in Houseparty when it was Meerkat? You've written about your thoughts on PMF...  How...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Scott Kupor Melody Koh Tom Tunguz Jim Douglass

Jaclyn Hester of Foundry Group joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss GP and LP Alignment, Challenges for Emerging Fund Managers, and How the Explosion in Seed Fund Volume Plays Out. In this episode, we cover: Tell us about your background and path to VC. For those who don't know, talk about the approach at Foundry with both the LP and GP model. Foundry traditionally had no...

Nick Rishwain and Hannah Konitshek of The LegalTechLive Podcast interview Nick to discuss Advice for Founders -- Reaching out to VCs, Pitching over Zoom, and Closing Capital Amidst a Pandemic. In this episode we cover: How have valuations been impacted from the pandemic? How long will lower valuations persist? Are VCs actively doing deals right now? What's the most common mistake that founders mak...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Alex Osterwalder Beezer Clarkson Michael Cardamone Leo Polovets Each investor illustrates a critical lesson learned about startup investing and how it's changed their approach. To listen more, please visit  http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/  for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter  @TheFullR...

Shawn Carolan of Menlo Ventures joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss the Four Fundamentals of Investing; the Future of Micro Mobility; and Hunting Consumer Unicorns. In this episode, we cover: Tell us about your background and path to venture. What's the thesis at Menlo Ventures? Can you explain the "Four Fundamentals" framework for investing and give us a brief descripti...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Patrick Gallagher Sarah Tavel Byron Deeter Jim Kim Each investor discusses sectors, drivers and/or trends that may have significant impact in the future and are potentially positioned for outsized-returns. To listen more, please visit  http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/  for all of our other episodes. Also, fo...

Tamara Steffens of M12 joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss Why Corporate VC Gets a Bad Wrap; Microsoft's Fresh Approach to CVC; and Key Insights to Acquire Mass Users. In this episode, we cover: Background and path to venture. Overview of the thesis at M12. Investments since COVID? Changes in strategy, markets of interest. CVC has the reputation of being very slow, not l...

Brian Hollins of BLCK VC joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss Breaking into VC; Excelling at Goldman Sachs; and the Origin of BLCK VC. In this episode, we cover: Background and path to venture? What was the most surprising thing about venture that you only realized after working in it for awhile? So you've got this great job in venture...  Why'd you decide to go back to H...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Minnie Ingersoll Adeyemi Ajao Richard Kerby David Horowitz Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out. To listen more, please visit  http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/  for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter  @TheFullRatchet...

Kane Hsieh of Root Ventures joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss Investment Decision in < 3 weeks; the Challenges and Opportunities with 3D Printing; and the Future for Industrial Automation. In this episode, we cover: Backstory/Path to Venture Tell us about the the thesis at Root and your focus areas. Any unique outcomes or behaviors you are observing as a result of the...

James Currier of NFX joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss Network Effects; 9 Days Until a Funding Decision; Software as the Foundation for the Modern VC firm; and the Future of Social Media. In this episode, we cover: Background and path to venture Thesis: Overview of the thesis and your specific focus at the firm Pandemic: Unique outcomes or behaviors you are observing a...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Leah Solivan Oren Klaff Jason Whitney Darren Bechtel Each investor discusses a portfolio company that did not survive and why it was that they failed. To listen more, please visit  http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/  for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter  @TheFullRatchet  for updates and mo...

Ramy Adeeb of 1984 Ventures joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss Why Facebook Should be Broken Up; SV Hype vs Returns; Amara's Law; and VC's Track Record Predicting Trends. In this episode, we cover: Backstory/Path to Venture Tell us more about what was it like working with Vinod. Is there anything he taught you in specific that was most influential? And how about Pierre?...

David Rabie of Tovala joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss Finding PMF, Raising Series B, & Navigating a Startup Amidst the Pandemic. In this episode, we cover: I was just checking and we had you on the show back in March of 2016... that was over 4 years ago, pre-launch, during your Kickstarter campaign.  So crazy how much time has passed.  Can you refresh us on the origi...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Grace Isford Somesh Dash Steve Blank Mark Suster To listen more, please visit  http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/  for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter  @TheFullRatchet  for updates and more information.

Taranvir Johal & Salman Elmi of Tavolo and Top Figure join Nick to discuss Racism in Venture -- A White, Male VC Threatens Black & Brown Founders. In this episode, we cover: Quick personal backstory and origin story for Tavolo -- Taranvir. Quick personal backstory and origin story for Top Figure -- Salman. So, there was an incident last week in Minneapolis where venture capitalist, Tom Austin (who...

Jim Douglass of Fulcrum Equity Partners joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss Pandemic Effects on B2B SaaS and Healthcare -- Total $ Invested, Multiples, and the Exit Environment. In this episode, we cover: Background/path to venture. The thesis at Fulcrum. Investments since COVID -- Anything additional you need to see or changes to process to get to investment? B2B SaaS -...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: John Vrionis Elizabeth Yin Bobby Franklin Jeremy Neilson Each investor illustrates a critical lesson learned about startup investing and how it's changed their approach. To listen more, please visit  http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/  for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter  @TheFullRatchet...

Melody Koh of Nextview Ventures joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss Super-Technologies; The Everyday Economy; The Overlooked Working Class; and Fear of Missing Out vs. Fear of Looking Dumb. In this episode, we cover: Background and path to venture Thesis and Focus at NextView Hands-on approach (only 2-3 investments/yr)? You wrote that when it comes to investing in the CO...

Jeff Fluhr of Craft Ventures joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss Launching StubHub During the Dotcom Crash; Why Market Need Trumps Market Timing; Choosing B2B vs. B2C; and Why Founders Shouldn't Let VCs Decide Their Fate In this episode, we cover: Background and path to venture Thesis and focus at Craft So, you incorporated Stubhub in March 2000... just weeks before the...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following investors are featured: Ryan Gembala Jenny Rooke Jeff Clavier Courtney Reum Each investor discusses sectors, drivers and/or trends that may have significant impact in the future and are potentially positioned for outsized-returns. To listen more, please visit  http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/  for all of our other episodes. Also, f...

Sarah Tavel of Benchmark joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss Consumer Marketplace Investing; Why Aggregate GMV is a Red Herring; and Minimum Viable Happiness as the Key to Market Leadership. In this episode, we cover: Background and path to venture? Quick overview of the thesis and your focus at Benchmark What are your thoughts on platform VC? What tactics or approaches...

Beezer Clarkson of Sapphire Ventures joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss Platform LP; Allocations in a Down-Market; COVID Strategy Drift; and Emerging Manager Selection . In this episode, we cover: Background and path to Sapphire? Overview of the thesis at Sapphire? You have relationships with many different funds and fund managers, how have you been managing the current...