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

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Alex Osterwalder Scott Kupor Cheryl Cheng 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  for updates and...

Byron Deeter of Bessemer joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss Why This is the Seminal Moment for Cloud and Lessons from 19 Unicorn Investments. In this episode, we cover: Background and path to venture Stage and focus area at Bessemer? You've said that many of the lessons learned from the 08 crisis are applicable today -- what are the top 2 or 3 lessons that founders can...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Michael Cardamone Jim Kim Jason Calacanis 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 informat...

Leah Solivan of Fuel Capital joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss Building TaskRabbit in a Recession; COVID Effects on the Independent/Gig Economy; and Key Factors for Early-Stage Marketplace Success. In this episode, we cover: Background -- path to venture? How is the current climate affecting your investing? Differing viewpoints on how much runway to plan for w/ a new c...

Grace Isford of Canvas Ventures joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss How Companies Can Maintain Growth Post-COVID. In this episode, we cover: You're an extroverted, people-person... how you holding up w/ the quarantine? Quick overview of your background and path to VC? Your focus (and thesis) at Canvas? You developed a 30 page GTM Playbook based on interviews w/ 10+ CROs/...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Minnie Ingersoll Scott Dorsey M.G. Siegler Each investor describes the most unusual situation or pitch that they've encountered as an investor. 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 info...

Ash Fontana of Zetta Venture Partners joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss The AI Investing Playbook; Why "Dev Tools" for Data Scientists is the Next Great Opportunity; When Fund Returns Don't Fit the Power Law; and Ash's Favorite Investment Heuristic from Naval Ravikant. In this episode, we cover: Zetta III was announced recently, a $180M fund for founders building AI-fi...

Tomasz Tunguz of Redpoint Ventures joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss SaaS Strategies, Sector Data, and the $ Ceiling for Deals over Zoom. In this episode, we cover: September of 2015 was the last time we had you on the program...  bring us up-to-speed on major milestones and changes since then? Has your thesis changed at all? Aside from the effects of the pandemic now,...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Aydin Senkut Steve Glickman Ash Rust 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  for updates and mor...

Richard Kerby of Equal Ventures joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss the Tactical Advice for Raising VC Fund 1, Why Not to "Raise the Bar," and a Framework for Startups Adjusting to COVID-19. In this episode, we cover: Walk us through your background and path to Venrock Why'd you leave to launch Equal? You, Rick and the team just launched a $56 million Fund 1 at Equal Ven...

Elizabeth Yin of Hustle Fund joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss Investing after 1 Zoom Meeting, 2nd & 3rd Order Effects of the Virus, and Why "Market Pull" is Critical. In this episode, we cover: Tell us a bit about your background and path to venture Why'd you leave 500 and start Hustle Fund? What is the thesis at Hustle Fund? From a macro standpoint, how do you think...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Adeyemi Ajao Oren Klaff Leo Polovets 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, follow us on twi...

Patrick Gallagher of Tuesday Capital joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss VC Firm Survival, How Seed Investing Scales, & A Glimpse at the Road Ahead. In this episode, we cover: Walk us through your path to venture How did things first come together for Crunchfund w/ you and Michael Arrington? Why did Michael leave and why did you rebrand Crunchfund to Tuesday? Gives us th...

Darren Bechtel of Brick & Mortar Ventures joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss The Built World in Crisis. In this episode, we cover: Background and path to venture? South Park... must be a story behind the name there? Overview of the thesis at Brick & Mortar? Just have to say... I suspect that the impacts of this crisis on the built world will be more profound that we can...

Welcome back to TFR for the first Investor Stories Cram Session. In these special releases, we have aggregated the Investor Stories from previous episodes. In this installment, the following investors are featured: Jonathan Struhl John Greathouse Joanne Wilson Semil Shah Bryce Roberts Troy Henikoff Jason Heltzer Christopher Mirabile David Brown Brad Feld Each investor highlights a situation where...

Somesh Dash of IVP joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss Late Stage Impacts and Prioritizing Mental Health. In this episode, we cover: Quick background and what led you to venture/IVP? Overview of the firm and your focus? Covid impact on later stages The 2008 crisis... '08 was still strong for C round funding, steep dropoff in 2009, stayed pretty low in 2010, returning to...

Semil Shah of Haystack joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss VC Fund Management in a Pandemic World. In this episode, we cover: Last time we had you on was Nov. 2017... quick update on you and Haystack since then? LP interaction - are capital call defaults a serious issue to consider in this environment? How do you think investment dollar volume adjusts in 2020 vs. '19? I...

Samir Kaji of First Republic joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss Relief $ for Startups via CARES Act, EIDL, PPP; & How an Extended Downturn Affects Emerging VC Funds. In this episode, we cover: Startups... The CARES Act became law on 3/27, but many are having trouble making sense of it and how it applies... Let's start out w/ the two types of loans that are available to...

David Horowitz of Touchdown Ventures joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss How Corporate VC Will Respond. In this episode, we cover: What is your current view of the venture market given the current crisis? Corporates have a history of pulling back in economic downturns, what will happen now? This is your 3rd economic downturn, What is different about this economic period...

Chris Douvos of Ahoy Capital joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss the LP Lessons from '01 and '08, The Denominator Effect, Capital Calls & Fundraising in a Down Market. In this episode, we cover: What is the denominator problem/effect? Why does it matter? How do LPs react when they face the denominator problem? How quickly do LPs tend to rebalance their investment portfol...

Steve Blank joins Nick on this special "Crisis Coverage" installment to discuss The Playbook for Startup Survival. In this episode, we cover: What industries will be most affected by social isolation? How do you see this playing out over the next 3 - 6 months? How does this pandemic and the impact on the economy compare to the past 3 market crashes? Similarities/differences? Having lived through 3...

Mark Suster of Upfront Ventures joins Nick on a Pre-Crisis chat to discuss Building a VC Franchise; The Shift to Bite-Sized Video Content; Last-Mile Attribution; & the Impact of Corona Virus Over The Next 6-12 Months. In this episode, we cover: Last time we had you on the show was December 2016. Any notable updates or changes at Upfront since then? Just chatting w/ Minnie Ingersoll and she was say...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: John Vrionis David Horowitz Cyan Banister 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 informat...

Ryan Gembala of Pathbreaker Ventures joins Nick to discuss Breaking Convention, Hitting The Fundraise Wall & Why Deep-tech Is Not More Capital Intensive Than Software. In this episode, we cover: Backstory/Path to Venture Talk about your time at Facebook and working in M&A. What's the thesis at Pathbreaker? How do you define pre-seed? Most of your dealflow inbound or outbound? Quote from the websit...

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Jeremy Neilson Jason Whitney Jenny Rooke Each investor describes the most unusual situation or pitch that they've encountered as an investor. 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 inform...